January Week 05

Tuesday

Vinnies Kingsland Center ; Assist a School Project and Foodbank

You would have thought he worked for Countdown!…the team out buying supplies to refurbish our Kingsland food bank…demand has been quite high lately…our food bank has been completely wiped out…

Crazy day today…picking up bulk classroom furniture to donate to struggling schools…family furniture delivery pickups…family food parcels…repackaging frozen goods ..installation of new computer for reception room…bulk shopping for food bank…moving a ginormous fridge into kitchen…sorting bulk retro and antique goods for trade me fundraiser site…cooking and delivering bulk meals for the homeless…what a day!

 

Thursday

Vinnies Assist a School Project in Samoa

This young man has returned from his journey to Samoa where he spent 10 days working with a wonderful Bando Nundah Youth Group Chieftan Thetadig from Australia renovating classrooms at St Marys College in Samoa that were damaged by the recent cyclone. Thank you for your servant heart Ralston.

 

Kingsland Vinnies Center volunteers

Without volunteers, we will not be able to provide the services that we do.
These guys spent the day in preparing household kits for those being released from prison, furniture donation pick ups, recycling metal, merchandising in the shoppe, giving out food parcels all the while each giving each other a hard time  
Its not about what you give but the spirit in which you do.

 

Look who’s back..good to have Sam Mano back onsite to support our Vinnies work in the schools. He just spent last 8 hours with Gene Kiely working the vans. Welcome back!

 

 

 

Tertiary Ignite Camp January 2014

Young Adult Vinnies Group

This video reflects on the weekend that the tertiary students had – growing as individuals and as a team. Igniting the flame in one another.

 

 

January Week 04

Monday

Auckland Diocese

Got a call from this wonderful and tired team to pick up food donations for food bank and Vinnies upcoming camp. Well done to  Teresa McNamara and new team at the Auckland Diocesan Youth Office for leading their first successful camp! Now for a good sleep.

 

 

Friday

Young Adult Vinnies Group

These men have spent the last four hours moving, lugging,stacking pulling, dragging and lifting 5 classes worth of furniture…across a corridor..up stairs..across a courtyard down a grassy bank on to a truck…then off the truck into storage ..painfully tiring and tedious work..especially after a camp!! Thank you spartans for your commitment today to schools who struggle to access good educational resources. Thank you Paul Norris and Matt and also the Logos Project Gabriel Pyc, Jennifer Martinez and team for organizing storage and Marist College for the amazing donation of furniture.

 

Saturday

Young Adult Vinnies Group

This weekend tertiary students gathered for their beginning of the year camp. They got to bond in their teams and overcome personal fears. Some of the challenges they encountered included raft building and high ropes. This was a great opportunity for new and current university students to get to know each other and ignite their flame ready for the year ahead.

 

 

Sunday

“The day will come when, after harnessing the winds, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And, on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin – (Vinnies Camp Ignite Quote 2014)

 

 

 

 

January Week 03

Wednesday

Young Adult Vinnies Group

Big thanks to our awesome crew for coming together to dismantle about 100+ desks donated by Marist College, as well as their legendary team leader Lavrenti! These desks will given be to schools that cannot afford many of the educational resources fundamental to learning.
We also welcome Marcos Toledo; a member of Vinnies in Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Marcos assisted the group today and his help is greatly appreciated. 2014 is off to a good start.

 

Thursday

This young man worked and worked and worked today..loading boxes..unloading boxes..sorting clothing, repacking boxes, cleaning up after all of it…and then after a meal …exhausted..he curled up on 4 reception chairs and went to sleep for an hour…This is Faith in Action.

 

 

Friday

So this young man after long day of study at uni..turns up at our centre at 3.30pm then proceeds to work on cleaning out the storage area…a mammoth task given the chaos of the Christmas appeal…he works and works and works away quietly until it is all cleaned, put ordered, stacked and labelled….a solid 5 hours of solo hard work – priceless.

 

 

 

 

January Week 02

Friday

Christmas is now over and now and many families are really feeling the pinch…today the team are out purchasing bulk food to top up the depleted food banks. Thank you to the St Patrick’s Cathedral and other generous donors for the cheques received today to support our vulnerable families..May God bless you always

 

 

Sunday

Yesterday we received a mayday call from a local outfit that supports the homeless that over hundred people turned up yesterday and there wasn’t enough food to go around.
Did you know that last year through the financial support of St Patrick’s Cathedral parish,  Fr. Kev Murphy and family, the Marist Fathers and Catholic Secondary schools, Vinnies were able to provide just over 5000 hot meals to those who are homeless! We are very greatful for your generosity. This morning because of YOU we can send another batch of 150 hot meals out!!

Much respect to you all!!

 

 

 

 

 

January Week 01

Wednesday

Ralston  got a lovely reception in Samoa from Sr Sosefina (Principal St Marys College Samoa ), students as well as the members of the Voice Banyo-Nundah Youth Group of the Banyo-Nundah Catholic Parish from Brisbane Australia that have been helping to repair St. Mary’s College since Cyclone Evan.
Ralston in the past together with his family, his youth group and the Parish of St Dominic’s in Blockhousem they have raised funds to improve the educational resources for Fiamalamalama school for special needs in Samoa.
This time round he has flown to Samoa for a week to join forces with the Banyo-Nundha youth group to help renovate classrooms that were damaged by the recent cyclone. He could only go for a week as he has clinical practice placement in Hamilton for med school in 2 weeks time.