Father Joe set up the Doxa Youth Foundation in 1972 after his ecclesiastical work in Melbourne’s inner suburbs highlighted the plight of young people who did not have the financial resources, support or opportunity to have access to educational and recreational opportunities in a rural setting, thus the establishment of the Malmsbury Camp in 1976.

Father Joe’s original vision is still very much at the core of the Doxa Youth Foundation.  Since its inception over 50 years ago, the Victorian not-for-profit has grown from humble beginnings to an established and well-respected charity which operates across multiple sites and supports over 6,000 young people each year.