Unsung Heroes: Bunbury man Mark Schatz “leaving a legacy” through Salvos

The Salvation Army’s coveted red shield has served as a beacon of hope for many struggling through dark times since it’s inception in 1865. Servicing 65 per cent of countries worldwide, the charity aims to not only help people find God, but also provide them with the relevant stepping stones to get their lives back on track. Behind the renowned name is a team of hard-working, selfless individuals determined to help others succeed — such as local Bunbury Corps officer Mark Schatz. Serving as the Salvation Army South West regional captain since 2017, he has spent nearly 15 years with the not-for-profit organisation, travelling around the country bringing hope to those who need it most, motivated by his own journey to give back to others. “I believe that I was called by God to get into this work,” he said. “It’s a vocation, but it’s also a calling and it’s just what I do . . . and I love it. “We (the Salvation Army) do it because we believe people are worthy of it, and people need help. Sometimes we all fall down, and need people to help.” Growing up in Rockingham in a rough family home, Mark turned to drugs and alcohol as a teenager, battling severe mental health struggles that led him to an attempted suicide. The incident led him to stay with his aunt, who was a church pastor with a different denomination. She brought him to the church, and it turned his life around. “I sort of found God and in that, I kind of found the will to live and found that it was releasing in a sense,” he said. “Did it take everything away that I was going through? No, I still had to work through some of that, but it meant that I had seen the other side.” It is this “lived in” experience that allows him to connect deeply with those he works with. “Now that I’m way on the other side, I could tell you life is so much better now than it was back then,” he said. “As I said, I was heading down that track but I’m so glad that my faith is what actually holds me together and keeps me together and I wouldn’t do it without it . . . I don’t think I could. “That lived experience, coupled with the example that is being set hopefully will highlight to people there is a hope of their choice and there is something that I’ve moved towards.” Inspired to lead others to God to save them the way it saved him, in 2008 Mark began working with the Salvos in Narrogin, where he remained for 18 months before heading to Melbourne to study at the Melbourne College of Divinity to become a Salvos officer. A busy but rewarding process, Mr Schatz said the training was like completing a “three-year degree in two years”. He was given the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals and build skills in many different aspects of the role. “I’ve now come out as a pastor but I’ve also got that ability to work with people like casework and social work and support,” he said. “Nine times out of 10, if you just sit with them and talk to them for a bit, they’ll come up with a solution (on their own). “We’re just aiding them through that journey of getting from the hole they’re in to to being on their feet.” Following his time in Melbourne, Mark was sent to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, where he lived for six years. The story of one particular gentlemen stuck out in his memory — reinforcing the passion he holds for his job. “The only permanent home he had was either prison or his parents (home) growing up, otherwise he hadn’t had a permanent home,” he recalled. “He was 58 years old, and we managed to get him into his first home, that he could say ‘this is mine’”. While not all Salvos efforts are as grand as these, Mark couldn’t help but smile when recalling some of the smaller and more touching moments that were just as heart-warming. “A couple of years ago we organised to have a hairdresser come here, and we had a lady who hadn’t had a haircut for 27 years because she couldn’t afford it,” he said. “Stories like that make me think that we are making a difference and bringing hope and joy and peace and all those great things back to people’s lives.” By his side throughout this journey is his wife Zoe, who also works on the Salvos Bunbury team, which is supported by a big network of volunteers. “Our volunteer network is really the backbone of what we do,” he said. “We’ve got everybody from driving vans and rescuing food from places, through to working at thrift shops, working through budgets . . . we can’t do it without them.” The community impact speaks for itself. Mark shares that how to this day he continues to be stopped in the street by previous families he has helped, expressing their gratitude for the way in which the Salvos have transformed their lives. Now heading into his sixth year at the Bunbury Corps, he hopes his goodwill will leave behind a legacy with those he has crossed paths with along the way. “Helping people at their time of need, and, hopefully leaving some kind of legacy as a result of that is my aim,” he said.