La reconnaissance est la mémoire du Coeur.
Gratitude is a memory of the heart.
It’s the small things that linger…
The laughter we share when we clean a house – music playing, sleeves rolled up, the work lighter because it’s done together.
The nervous smiles as we first meet those at our welcome weekend – softening into ease as names are exchanged and stories begin to fold.
The warmth of sitting together over a meal, where conversation moves between languages, gestures and laughter that needs no translation.
These are the moments that stay.
Not loud or extraordinary, but soft and comforting. Settling somewhere deeper than a memory, shaping the way we see, the way we act and the way we belong. And for this, we are grateful.
During National Volunteer Week (18–24 May), we celebrate the Josephite Action Group (JAG): a community of students and school leavers with a Josephite heart who step into spaces of need with passion, openness and kindness. Through working with the community, volunteers don’t just “help”, they enter into relationships. They listen. They learn. They share.
A JAG volunteer reflects:
I was inspired to start volunteering in the Josephite Action Group because I wanted to give back to my community and be part of something meaningful. Becoming a Josephite Action Group volunteer has changed the way I see the world. It’s made me more aware of the importance of connection, kindness, and service. I would encourage anyone thinking about getting involved to just start.
For the Josephite Action Group, their experiences echo the spirit of Mary MacKillop who, not in spoken words alone, but in the way gratitude is lived, and carried forward.
“Gratitude is a memory of the heart” – Jean-Baptiste Massieu. This is not only a beautiful idea, but one lived out by Mary MacKillop, whose life of service reflected a deep and active gratitude. The Josephite Action Group embodies this same spirit, living and sharing gratitude through their actions.
And so, to our volunteers, not just thank you, but recognition for all that you now carry. The stories entrusted to you. Connections you’ve helped grow. These are the memories of the heart.
What you give does not simply end. It stays with you, and with all of us. Thank you!
Violet Cabral
Community Engagement Officer, Josephite Justice Network
Find out more about JAG, how to volunteer, or follow JAG on Instagram by visiting our JAG webpage here.