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Jayne’s service to God helping others a lifetime commitment

20 February 2013

Jayne Wilson, community program manager at The Salvation Army Wollongong. (Photo: Shairon Paterson)


 

… She came to see me later and said, ‘it was amazing to think that I was on the telephone … and you were saving my life while you were on a drip to save yours’.

As Jayne Wilson, community program manager at The Salvation Army Wollongong Corps, sat in hospital receiving chemotherapy treatment for cancer, her phone rang. On the other end was a woman threatening to take her own life.

Despite her own health issues, Jane calmly talked the woman through her crisis and arranged support. She says that experience showed her clearly that service to God “is a lifetime tenure, no matter the circumstances”.

For more than 15 years, Jayne has overseen the establishment and then development of The Salvation Army’s First Floor Restoration Program in Wollongong.

The service offers support for those in addiction, for families with a member in addiction, plus a range of other services including employment training and support for those released from prison.

Jayne is also chaplain to the Lake Illawarra Command of NSW Police, has helped establish a support program for emergency services personnel, and played a key role in a number of pilot programs with agencies including the Department of Corrective Services.

Jayne spent her early years working in the hospitality industry. As her seven children got older, she began studying and training with organisations such as Drug Arm and Teen Challenge, working with people in addiction until a door opened to support chaplaincy work in a prison.

“I worked with two people [who’d been in addiction] for 18 months and they stayed clean,” she says. “But one night they … committed a really bad crime.

“I rang the [prison] chaplain and asked if he’d look out for them, and when he said no I was shocked. But then he said, ‘it’s about time you churchy people got out of your churches and looked after them yourself’. So I said, ‘well you get me in and I’ll come’.”

The experiences she had in that environment were life changing and provided a deep foundation for her later work at First Floor.

Jayne says at times she is humbled at the thousands of lives saved and changed through the Army’s Wollongong centre, plus the dedication and unique skills of the First Floor staff. “God is just amazing,” she says.

Comments

  1. You are an inspiration to us all Jayne. Always thinking of you.
    Mick

  2. Another article to remind us all that their are still many beautiful and caring people in our society / community. We are blessed and thankJayne for her commitment and dedication in helping those in need.

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