Sydney
21 July 2002

Home
Archive
Subscribe
Links
Contact

Changing face of Pope’s soldiers

Vinnies SOS for cash to fight gambling ills

Priest’s anniversary wish – that more young men take up cloth

Simon’s still in need of a home

Excitement as pilgrims are blessed

Politics and prayers

International court is ‘crucial’ for East Timor

The icon of Our Lady of Kazan

Amnesty condemns attacks by Palestinian suicide bombers

Church unity theme for cardinal at Ryde mayor’s prayer breakfast

Aust gifts set charity record

Danger if teens are ‘running on empty’

Editorial: Romance in marriage

Letters: Jesus is the centre, not the clergy

Conversation: ‘Unreal’ love? Not if your love is real - Anne and Peter McGowan, family delegates

Reflections: Hunger – righting an imbalance

Becoming Catholic ‘a turning point’

Opinion: A return to the genuine ‘good old days’?

Schools fight to keep up with demand

Chaldean leader blesses new church

Helping hand for Sydney pilgrims

‘Big kids’ in new role as Seniors

Inspirations: Students rally to Winter Appeal

Inspirations: Students rally to Winter Appeal

Students from the Bethlehem College social justice group give up their leisure time to run the Vinnies Winter Appeal stall on Bethlehem Day

At Bethlehem College in Ashfield, a stall for the St Vincent de Paul Society was included in the celebrations for Bethlehem Day – a day in honour of the founders and to raise money for the school.

Students from the college’s social justice group assisted by volunteering to look after the stall from 11am until 12:30pm.

They sold raffle tickets to raise funds for the Vincentian Village Homeless Refuge.

They also raised over $100 for the next Buddies Day when the Society will be taking children from disadvantaged families to Enfield bowling alley.

Students from Bethlehem College and De la Salle College participate in the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Buddies Day program by helping the Society’s young adult volunteers take children aged between six years and 12 on a day out each school holiday.

Bethlehem College students also volunteered to work in Vinnies’ centres of charity (shops) at Burwood and Bankstown, as well as the meals centre at Vincentian Village, and with disadvantaged children.

Debra McDonnell, the youth co-ordinator for the Society’s Sydney archdiocese is grateful to the college for its continuing support of the work of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

“We were blessed to be part of the Bethlehem Day celebrations and to have the wonderful help of so many enthusiastic and generous students and teachers,” Debra said.

The student councillors of St Christopher’s Primary school in Panania collected more than 250 items from the school community for the St Vincent de Paul Society’s 2002 Winter Appeal.

The items included blankets, clothes and food. On Friday, July 5, the donations were presented to Helen Duxbury, from the local St Vincent de Paul conference during a whole school mass.

The student council raised awareness for the appeal by speaking to each class, making posters to display around the school, speaking at whole school assemblies and sending notes home through the school newsletters.

Over the course of a few weeks students from the school donated appropriate winter items.

Helen said the gifts will be used to answer the ever-growing calls for assistance from those in need throughout the community.

“The schools are always most helpful,” she said.

“The children are amazing.

“They organised this whole appeal.

“They did it all, including creatively decorating the collection boxes.”

Also very impressed with the enthusiastic and dedicated work of the students is Lisa Harbrow Grove, Religious Education co-ordinator at the school, who has been working with them to support the St Vincent de Paul Society all year round.

For inquiries or to make a contribution to the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Winter Appeal to support its work in the Sydney archdiocese, please contact the diocesan council office on 02 9568 0237.