Steve Jansz

Support my challenge to care for young Western Australians

Every school day across Western Australia, 250,000 students walk into a school where someone knows their name. In 2025, YouthCARE chaplains and volunteers showed up in 600 school communities and 38 sporting clubs across the state, from the Kimberley to the Great Southern.

They sat with students navigating hard things, served nearly 700,000 meals through Breakfast Club, delivered 30,760 wellbeing sessions, and supported more than 10,000 athletes and their families on the sidelines.

260,000 people. One consistent presence. Ridiculously good care.

Your support helps provide ridiculously good care to young Western Australians.

In silent recognition...

Finally, a way to shut me up 😂 What a challenge!

Well, through the month of May I intend to commit 600+ minutes, 20 minutes a day, to Silent meditation & reflection, representing the 600+ school communities across WA in which YouthCARE Chaplains serve, helping children, young people, and adults find their voice, recognise their worth, and know they are loved - each person a unique gift in this world.

Each day school chaplains take this stance, to create safe spaces and opportunities for children, young people and adults to be welcomed, to be heard, without judgement. To be really listened to, deeply valued, and so to be seen, having their dignity and humanity affirmed, and giving hope for a brighter, kinder, more loving future.

In this simple way, I stand in solidarity with those in our school communities and neighbourhoods who have been silenced or feel voiceless... whether through racism, injustice, family and domestic violence, disability, mental health issues or as a result of any system or belief which devalues, discounts or denies any human being on the basis of social status, gender, personal identity, race, ethnicity, or personal economy (poverty).

My hope is that you may join with me in this, even pausing for a few moments in your day, to acknowledge those people or groups in our midst, who feel silenced and devalued, to reflect upon where we help or hinder, and to lift up those working for change; bringing compassion, empowerment, advocacy, and hope.

And if you are able to donate, I would welcome any gift toward supporting the life affirming, dignity restoring, work of our YouthCARE school chaplains.

Perhaps this is part of your own story or the story of someone you love... Together we can make a ridiculously good difference.

Grace & Peace,

Steve 🕊️