Reconciliation - a calling to care for community

By Jasmine Hutchinson

National Reconciliation Week 2026 calls for all of us to be ‘all in’ for reconciliation — united in our vision and efforts for a just, equitable and reconciled Australia. How that translates into action looks different for everyone. For Jasmine and her family, reconciliation was a calling guided by faith, focused on transforming lives through everyday acts of care, humility and love.

Growing up, I was largely unaware of a world divided along racial lines. I did not view my heritage as something requiring defence or explanation. Instead, I was raised by two principled and compassionate parents who instilled in me — from an early age — a clear understanding of right and wrong, a commitment to loving others, and a deep respect for elders.

In our household, compassion was not abstract — it was practised daily. My parents consistently extended care to those in need, whether through providing meals, shelter, or simple acts of generosity. Their actions reflected a quiet but unwavering belief in the importance of supporting others.

A defining moment for our family occurred in 1986 during a visit to my aunt and uncle. It was there that they were given a piece of paper bearing a photograph of my brother as an infant, accompanied by the words, ‘I need a home’. At the time the photograph was taken, he was just six weeks old. 

This moment unfolded against the backdrop of significant legislative change in Australia, where policies had shifted to ensure that Aboriginal children could be adopted by Aboriginal families, recognising the vital importance of cultural identity, connection and belonging.

In January 1987, at 14 months of age, my brother was formally welcomed into our family. His adoption was not simply a legal process, but the beginning of a lifelong bond grounded in love, care, and shared identity.

Following this, my parents made a sustained commitment to supporting vulnerable children. They became foster carers for Aboriginal children and provided emergency care for others in need, continuing this work into the early 2000s. Over the years, our home became a place of refuge and stability for many children, shaped by consistency, compassion, and a strong sense of responsibility to others.

As we reflect during National Reconciliation Week, these experiences take on renewed meaning. For many, this week is a time to consider the broader national journey toward reconciliation — acknowledging history, strengthening relationships, and building respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community.

For our family, however, the way we understand this journey is deeply personal.

In conversations with my parents today, we do not primarily frame their actions within the language of reconciliation or policy. While others may interpret their contributions through that lens, our understanding is grounded in something quieter and more immediate.

We see it as a calling.

It was not a role they pursued for recognition, nor one defined by public discourse. Rather, it was a path that unfolded naturally — guided by faith and a shared belief in serving others.

We believe it was something God chose for us.

In living out that calling, my parents impacted many lives in profound and lasting ways — not through grand gestures, but through consistent acts of care, humility and love. In the context of National Reconciliation Week, this reflection does not stand apart from the national conversation, but alongside it — a reminder that reconciliation can also be expressed through everyday actions, personal responsibility, and a commitment to walking with others in dignity and respect.

Jasmine is a proud Wakka Wakka woman who works as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Officer for The Salvation Army Employment Plus.