With support from a range of groups and many individual donors we were able to provide the following support on Christmas Day:
- 960 men and women living in Boarding Houses, aged care facilities, group homes and living independently with support received personalised parcels of toiletries, socks and lollies. They also received up to 10 Christmas cards each.
- Another 80 people in the Southern Highlands and 25 men in a rehab program received parcels.
- Hampers of general and festive food, enough for three days, plus toiletries and personal gifts went to 75 clients of the Mobile Assertive Treatment team, 50 clients of the Acute Care Team, 80 clients of the Redfern Mental Health team and 16 clients of the Common ground Project, who had previously been living on the Street.
- Just days before Christmas we had a request from RPAH drugs, for anything we had left. We provided enough for 17 hampers and a home made Christmas Cake for clients who came on Christmas Day.
Seven double washing basket hampers of festive food were taken to Boarding Houses for people with disabilities. Each also received a ham, courtesy of a local physiotherapist, who raised the money with the help of his clients.
We focus on people who don’t have any family to visit and support them. People with disabilities of all ages and people who have been or are homeless.
76 men and women with disabilities were guests for lunch at Gethsemane on Christmas Day where they also received personalised gifts. There were 10 carers and 30 volunteers helping look after the guests and serve lunch.
Left over food was taken to two nearby boarding houses. Excess gifts were taken to a women’s refuge.
None of the above would have been possible without the generosity of the big donors, the Parishes of St Patrick’s Church Hill, Canisius College Pymble, Catholic Education Commission Sydney, Catholic Schools’ Office Wollongong, the seven Schools that packed parcels and the many other groups and individuals that provided gifts, wrote Christmas Cards, donated money and time.
Thank you!