Menu

Heart and soul story

Skip to content

Home
About
Social research & strategy
Life Stories
Intergenerational Programs
HSS Blog
- Helping your world
Contact

Heart and soul story

Menu Item
Menu Item
Menu Item

Skip to content

Home
About
Social research & strategy
Life Stories
Intergenerational Programs
HSS Blog
- Helping your world
Contact

Contact

Read more

Contact

Samantha Heron

Local office = Maroubra beach, Sydney Australia

(+61 ) 0421056730

Samanthaheron@heartandsoulstory.com

https://au.linkedin.com/in/samanthaheron

Follow Us

Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram

Follow Heart and Soul Story on Instagram

“How do you feel when you see this photo?What would you like to know? We asked students to look at photos taken from previous Seniors and Teens Empathy Programs and ask questions about what they wanted to know about what was happening, and importantly, how the photos made them feel… one student summed up the photo to the right ( from last year’s STEP at Maroubra) 👉 “I feel a sense of warmth when I see the elderly engaging with youth ( and vice – versa). I believe both can sometimes feel unsupported/ lost and them coming together is wonderful”. There are still some students who are feeling dubious about being part of the program and any benefit they will reap, and it’s vitally important that we listen to their concerns, to understand where their reluctance stems from... only then can we help find an appropriate way for them to try to connect, and cross our fingers we can gently help them change their minds through time and braking down the stigma and barriers that are part of their current world view. #heartandsoulstory #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community#kindnessrocks #bringingcommunitybacktogether #breakingsterotypes #sharingstories #startaconversation #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #friends #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia

Not every day you get to meet @brianmayforreal hang out with real life champions (from the mental health peer support unit of the NSW fire brigade) watching one of the most incredible bands of all time. The icing on the cake was sharing the experience with my soul sister Tara, marking almost 25 years of friendship. Thank you my soul sister for every bit of who you are and the extraordinary hard work you do to help us towards a more connected community with better mental health ! 👸 still rocks 50 years on !!!! Such a phenomenal energy to witness by Brian May, Roger Taylor and Spike Edney ( certainly bust any myths of the plus 70 generation that any of my STEP students may hold) Highlight also came of course through the sharing of a story, after the show chat with Queen pianist Spike Edney ... I asked him about his first memory of seeing @adamlambert and knowing that he was something special ( and him admitting it was his wife who got him out of his hammock to have a look at him on idol - he then looked him up online and saw his audition doing Bohemian Rhapsody.. and the rest, as you say, is history !! 🙌

So get to @thewaysidechapel and donate today - so much better than 🌹 or 🍫! The Wayside Side By Side conference was last Friday 👉Such a fantastic day to for Heart and Soul Story be part. Thank you to all involved Wayside Chapel for your hard work to pull this day together. Outstanding speakers and panel discussion/thought-provoking topics / top-notch organisation. So many great take-outs - working collaboratively will get us so much further in our social impact goals/importance of critical thinking skills for our future generation ( and crucially critical doing skills to back that up) / an important role we play is to stir people from their indifference ... We need to listen and understand peoples fears ( Listen and Care (respond) not Judge and Get Angry (React)...Respect and Humility are key ( and I believe underlying that, empathy!) and @waysidepastor leaving us with the wonderful words of Greta Thunberg " We do need hope - of course we do. But the one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere. So instead of looking for hope, look for action. the, and only then, will hope come". It is always inspiring to see the amount of action in place through the team at Wayside - events like these give me a boost of energy to continue the work I do, because, as the great Jon Owen says .. " you know that saying that if you find your passion, you won't feel like you've worked a day in your life ? that's B/S ! " 😂 #waysidechapel #bringingcommunitybacktogether #loveoverhate #sidebyside #sidebyside2020 #heartandsoulstory #empathy #love #valentinesday

Residents of Bupa Maroubra were disappointed on Monday as their first planned visit for the year from students from The Bowen College needed to be postponed due to an outbreak of Influenza A at the home. 😷 We helped the eager residents record some messages for the students to let them know how much they are looking forward to their visits. Here’s the first, from one of the sweetest residents, Jean McDonald, whose face lights up when we mention the students are coming in for a natter.... told them I’ll work on getting a tech giant to support a bunch of iPads and wifi for all program participants so they can always be in touch no matter !! “ If you aim for the moon, even if you miss, you still land among the stars !” 🌝✨ #heartandsoulstory #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community#kindnessrocks #bringingcommunitybacktogether #sharingstories #startaconversation #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #friends #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia

For the third year in a row, a new cohort of Year 9 and 10 students from The Bowen College attended the intro session for STEP yesterday. 12 students will be visiting residents at Bupa Maroubra as part of their service learning for 2020. Their initial survey feedback shows half are looking forward to the program and around half are not so sure.... let’s see, if as in previous years, we can change the minds of some of the doubters about the power of intergenerational connection. Thanks to @youthoffthestreets @randwickcouncil and @bupaaustralia for their support to ensure this program keeps running for the young and young at heart in our community. #heartandsoulstory #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #intergenerationalconnection #community#kindnessrocks #bringingcommunitybacktogether #sharingstories #startaconversation #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #friends #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover. “ Mark Twain Wishing you all a year of dreaming, exploring and discovering. May we all find the strength, hope, empathy and love that will be needed to revive and sustain our communities and flora and fauna for our future generations. Happy New Year from my happy place. Thanks to all who have supported the @heartandsoulstory_sam journey in 2019. We look forward to sharing news of upcoming programs and plans for more intergenerational connection in 2020 with you soon. 📸 @lozzapix 🙏

The biggest supporters of Heart and Soul Story - couldn’t do what I do without their love. 🙏 Team Heron. Stay safe to anyone travelling over the festive season. Enjoy the time to connect, reflect and recharge. ❤️ #family #support #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community #bekind #kindnessrocks #bringingcommunitybacktogether #sharingstories #startaconversation #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia

WRONG WAY. GO BACK “I used to think the top environmental problems were Biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy...And to deal with these we need a spiritual and cultural transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.” Gus Speth Last Thursday I drove from Sydney to Gundagai for to celebrate the life of the mum of one of my dearest friends. The layer of thick smoke that hung in the air for the majority of the 5 hour drive down and back early Saturday morning, and to see how desperately parched our land is, was completely sobering. This image captures what it was like as I travelled along the Hume Highway ... ironical that the words on the sign “wrong way, go back” feel like a simple warning of what as a society we do need to do, GO BACK ....back to learn from a time when fruit and vegetables didn’t come wrapped in plastic, back to a time when children grew up with their Elders around them helping nurture their development, back to a time when we cycle and walk, rather than drive everywhere in a rush, back to a time when we sit together as a community sharing stories, rather than stream movies to different rooms in the house. The spiritual and cultural transformation we need is, in theory, actually quite simple, as it involves not much more than empathy, compassion, collective consciousness .what is hard is whether as so many individuals making up the whole, we are able to sacrifice the constant egocentric temptations of a consumer driven society to take action and truely put the needs of those who need it more before our own. We don’t need to go back completely though as Damon Gamau’s @2040film awesome Regeneration Rhyme yesterday provides hope that in a time of bleak environmental headlines, there has been wonderful steps forward happening around the 🌍 taking us in the right direction. Keep asking yourself, your family, your school, your community - what more can I do and we do together? 📸 Tom O’Dea #empathy #climatechange

I cannot keep these words from Nathan Scolero @dumbofeather out of my mind right now as the temperature once again creeps toward its predicted 40 degrees and smoke is so thick it shrouds a city usually known for shimmering. The constant news of ‘worst ever’ ‘unprecedented’ and ‘new norm’ conditions that are facing our incredible and exhausted firefighters, not just today, but for who knows how long, until Mother Nature decides to send down the flooding rains needed to disarm the mega fire that our exhausted firefighters are in in disbelief of. This does indeed feel like our Evolutionary Moment. This is, indeed, a time, more than ever, we need to be walking together, working together, problem solving together, and praying together ( however that is, or whatever that means to you) ... and resourcing from wholeness and love. 🙏 to those putting their lives on the line to protect what we have taken for granted for far too long. #nswbushfires #climatechange #walktogether #together #bringingcommunitybacktogether #ourevolutionarymoment #dumbodeather

I dropped into Opal Annandale on Friday to visit the residents who had taken part in STEP and let them know we were underway in our planning for next year’s program visits, to find that the newly appointed Aged Care Commissioner former Federal Court of Australia judge Hon Gaetano (Tony) Pagone, had just been in for a visit to further his understanding of Aged Care in situ. I was delighted to see in the entrance, the story of the heartwarming connections of the Seniors and Teens Empathy Program (STEP) there to greet him. “As a nation, Australia has drifted into an ageist mindset that undervalues older people and limits their possibilities. Sadly, this failure to properly value and engage with older people as equal partners in our future has extended to our apparent indifference towards aged care services. Left out of sight and out of mind, these important services are floundering. They are fragmented, unsupported and underfunded. With some admirable exceptions, they are poorly managed. All too often, they are unsafe and seemingly uncaring. This must change. Australia prides itself on being a clever, innovative and caring country. Why, then, has the Royal Commission found these qualities so signally lacking in our aged care system? We have uncovered an aged care system that is characterised by an absence of innovation and by rigid conformity.” (Excerpt from Royal Commission into Aged Care Health and Safety Interim Report) It is heartening to know that Tony Pagone, with so many years of experience and such a strong interest in social justice, was wanting to see for himself what things are like on the ground in Aged Care. And it was equally heartening to know, that amongst needing to hear the heartbreaking cases of abuse and neglect during the Aged Commission hearings, he could also get to see that there there are also many dedicated people working in Aged Care and in our community full of compassion, care and conviction for the best possible life for the Elders of our society. #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #intergenerationalconnection #community #bringingcommunitybacktogether #opalagedcare

The @bep Black Eyed Peas soundtrack “where is the 💓?” echoed through the corridors of @bupaaustralia Maroubra this week as we played a slideshow of photos of the years visits from the Bowen College. End of year cheer was obvious as students brightened the day of the residents they have been visiting since February. Residents faces lit up with gifts of paintings, coloured fans and cards with Christmas messages. All received a little 🎁 reminder from HSS to not take life too seriously, with a brightly wrapped @whogivesacraptp with message “When life has you down and feeling a bit crap,take a deep breath, smile and think how can I give back!” When one of the residents with dementia not usually part of the program joined and was SO excited she jumped up, arms flailing and ran over to give one of the students a huge hug, the Black Eyed Peas question was answered .. here is the love 💓!” STEP will resume for a new class of students with residents of Bupa Maroubra in February 2020. A huge thanks to Chris,Doris, Margaret,Mia and the team at Bupa and Mel, Tom, Tim, Yasmin and the staff at The Bowen College for all your support with this year’s program. #bringingcommunitybacktogeth seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community#sharingstories #startaconversation #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #friends #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia

Happiness is .... a Chupa Chup, some chums and good old fashioned chat & chortle 💓✨ Conversation time for The Bowen College and Bupa Maroubra residents this Wednesday. #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community #conversation #chupachups #kindnessrocks #bringingcommunitybacktogether #sharingstories #startaconversation #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #photooftheday #friends #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia

“Now, more than ever, we need to be walking together, imagining new possibilities with each other,resourcing from wholeness and love.” The incredible mag @dumbofeather doesn’t just tell stories, but brings out their heart and soul. Beautifully relayed stories of incredible people on its pages have been nurturing my soul for over 15 years, helping me keep hope in a world that sometimes feels so chaotic and on a path of destruction (👉to see original Founder Kate Bezar’s note in issue 3 on how people love passing on their copies, and I have Loved sharing it with friends over the years, delighted when I can introduce such a 💓 in my life to others). Current editor Nathan Scolero’s ( a true gem in this world) intro to the latest issue is as poignant as ever ... “There’s too much at stake to ignore or make small of what researchers and wisdom keepers are telling us. What became apparent as we were working through the content is that we can be, and need to be, part of a restorative narrative in this moment.... Rather than tuning out of conversations about our changing planet, I’m thinking about what I might have to offer at this time, how I can deepen my connections with those around me and give back to the 🌍. Now, more than ever, we need to be walking together, imagining new possibilities with each other,resourcing from wholeness and love.” This wkd, grab yourself a copy of DF, read it, savour it, discuss it, pass it on ... do it for our world and our future generations. 💓✨ Re 📸 @dumbofeather #dumbofeather #ourevolutionarymoment #climate #climatechange #community #stories4connection #bringingcommunitybacktogether #heartandsoulstory #healtheworld #youcanmakeadifference

Flashback Friday to this special moment at the Recognition Gathering of STEP, where Jed reads out the heartfelt card written to him by his Elder buddy Louise. She was touched by so many moments of kindness on Jed’s part throughout the time they spent together including his thoughtful gift of a Ride like a Girl poster and her fave footy team Roosters flag that she now proudly shows everyone who walks in her room. I was beyond delighted this week when I spoke with @opalagedcare Annandale’s Lifestyle Coordinator, that Jed and his family had come to visit Louise over the weekend, which had her buzzing with excitement. One of the aims and hopes from the Seniors and Teens Empathy Program, is that, where and when possible, teens will continue to visit the buddies that have made during their time on the program. We follow up a month or so after the initial program has finished ( and before we aim to start with a new cohort of students) with a session with teens that reflects on any challenges, the benefits they have felt from participating, and also talks about the ongoing benefits to self and others of continuing to volunteer in different ways in their community. “The positive impact volunteering has on personal domains such as life satisfaction, social development and self-esteem may also prove beneficial to educational outcomes in those who volunteer” (Bundick, 2011; Cemalcilar, 2009). And in the simple words of a student ...”It just feels really good” #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #bekind #intergenerational #intergenerationalconnection #intergenerationalprogram #community #bringingcommunitybacktogether #heartandsoulstory #sharingstories #startaconversation #empathy #stories4connection #igssyd #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #eldercare #opalagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #friends #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia

Dr Sarah Jane Moore, recipient of the Anat On Country Residency, is currently oyster artist in Residence at UNSW Sydney where she is collaborating with Indigenous Scientist Laura Parker and exploring creative research dialogues that focus on the Baludarri or the Sydney Rock Oyster. Her exhibition ‘ I know where oysters lie” explores the importance of the Baludarri, the Sydney Rock Oyster shell as a remnant story; a story of resilience and heritage, of the importance of the humble oyster as a filter, a restorer of river systems and oceans too. @sjmoore1970 Sarah Jane is an independent creative artist, performer ( swipe 👉 to see her rockstar performance of her song about the Oysters) , researcher, lecturer, incredible mother, wise and spiritual storyteller. A friend who came into my life after a trip to Tassie a few years ago, a friend I can’t ever now imagine not being in our life. If you have the chance I highly encourage you to see her art and listen to her share her story this week Wed to Thursday at the Accelerator Gallery, 6-8 Scott Street Piermont from 11 til 3. Everyone and everything has a story. We need powerful storytellers like Sarah Jane to help the future of our planet. Come and hear the tale of the Baludarri told by one of the most passionate and talented storytellers I know. #baludarri #storytelling #unswscience #oysters #sydneyrockoysters #artmeetscience #powerofstory #creativityforchange

As the sun rises today across our incredible country our thoughts and love go to those affected by the bushfires. In particular we send love to our incredible emergency services and Rural Fire Services teams and volunteers who are stretched beyond capacity and face imminent and grave danger to protect us. It is times like these we need most to come together as a community, as one.. in particular we need crave that from our leadership. And in the wise words of the amazing @catiadavim today “ stay safe and when the threat is over let’s sit and rethink everything. This is not normal. “ Repost @joelabell #environment #climatechange #climatechangeaffectsusall #bringingcommunitybacktogether #staysafe #thisisnotnormal

These words from Jean in her post Spring STEP reflection gave me mixed emotions... happy that she enjoyed her conversations and interaction so much with the teens, in particular becoming good buddies with Angus over the year. However, I also felt a twinge of sadness when she said it was “just not something I was expecting in a place like this”. With the Royal Commission interim report into Aged Care released last week, Minister for Aging Richard Colbeck was quoted saying “ It puts the government on notice, the industry on notice and it puts the community on notice, we need to change the approach of how we care for older Australians." I think as we as a community hear and reflect on the Royal Comission findings, it is important that we all look at what our role is, what we can do.. .that we don’t finger point at the government or industry, but that we acknowledge all of our roles to keep our Elders living with respect, dignity and connection to our community. “If we were to lose (our) sense of human connectedness, we would risk losing our sense of compassion. Then we would stop living as if we need each other, though we do. We would fail to recognise that our own mental health depends on the health of the communities we belong to, though it does” Hugh Mackay AO, Psychologist, Social Researcher and Author #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community#agedcareroyalcommission #bringingcommunitybacktogether #sharingstories #startaconversation #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #eldercare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #friends #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia

A reflective yet joy filled moment today. Quiet colouring whilst thinking of those who have died. Dia de los Muertos. Day of the dead. Paying respect and remembering those who have died as part of our 🎃 session at Bupa today. The annual Mexican celebration, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), is a time when families gather to honor and remember deceased loved ones. Since living in Mexico for a short time in 2009, we have celebrated this tradition annually as a family, each year adding new family or friends who have died to our altar of rememberance. Day of the dead is full of colour. A day not to mourn, but to honour the dead. The Aztec honored their dead with fiestas and rituals during the harvest season. They viewed death as the beginning of the cycle of seasons and life. Living with death in this way means that Mexicans learn to accept death as part of life. #diadelosmuertos #seniorsandteensempathyprogram #intergenerational #community#kindnessrocks #bringingcommunitybacktogether #sharingstories #startaconversation #youthoffthestreets #volunteering #servicelearning #bethechange #agedcareaustralia #seniorcare #bupaagedcare #commonhumanity #mentalhealth #healtheworldtogether #loveoneanother #love #friends #life #socialenterprise #socialenterpriseaustralia