November Week 03

NETWORKING IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Sam pictured with members of the Ranui Caravan Park steering committee.

Earlier in the week, Sam and Del from the  Auckland Vinnies youth team met up with the members of steering committee of the Ranui Caravan Park. The committee consisted of local Social workers, health practitioners, City Council workers , the local constables, as well as staff from Monte Cecilia Housing Trust. Over the next few weeks this group will be working together to host a  Christmas Family Day for the 300 local residents of Ranui Caravan park. The Christmas Family Day has become an annual event for the residents of the park. According to the members of the steering committee it has become a highlight for many of the families. This year the Vinnies from Liston and St Dominics College,  will be coordinating sports and fun activities as well as sponsoring some of the gifts for the children.

---

THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL DESPATCH BEGINS

Staff and Volunteers put together Christmas gifts soon to be dispatched across Auckland.

Throughout the year, the staff and volunteers of the Society of St Vincent de Paul coordinate various appeals to source goods to meet the demand during it’s seasonal work. With the help of generous donations from the public, the Society is therefore able to provide over 2,000 gifts and food hampers to families that seek assistance during  the Christmas season. Today a Vinnies team put together 50 Christmas Packs for a local refuge centre and over the next few weeks will continue to work through the database.  We are grateful for your continued support as the Christmas Season rolls on.

---

MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH CRAFT

Vinnies Team facilitate a craft group session at Mt Eden Corrections Facility

Over the weekend, the Vinnies Prison Ministry Team facilitated a craft workshop at Mt Eden Corrections Facility. The craft workshop was met with much enthusiasm by the unit that the team worked with, and each inmate was given the opportunity to freely express themselves through the medium of art. As a first visitation on this particular platform, the members of the workshop hope to visit once again.

---

SUNDAY PRISON FELLOWSHIP TEAM This Vinnies team were blessed  to have the opportunity to develop a fellowship with one of the units in Serco Prison. Today the team were reminded once again of the Fruits of the Spirit and how God’s ways always brings reconciliation, healing and fullness of life. We thank all the faithful teams from the various churches that commit to this ministry each Sunday for their servant hearts and their commitment.

---

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES Like a game of chess, there are infinite possibilities and opportunities to overcome barriers to genuinely connect with others. What was a typical 20hr weekend roster of Vinnies volunteers working behind the coffee counter serving hot drinks, meals, mopping up and making small talk at the City Mission, took a little twist today. With the regularity of visits and the rapport built over time, the crew were finally asked to go into the crowd and start up games of chess and cards today. However daunting it seemed, the Vinnies did exactly that and to their relief the response was awesome! The volunteers were graced with much laughter and banter and a real sense of acceptance. Finding ways to connect with others can be quite a daunting task however when it truly is the right thing to do and you act on it, the rewards are remarkable.

---

IGNITE CREW REFLECTING ON THE JOURNEY This morning some of the Ignite team gathered at Newman Hall to reflect on the year. It has been an awesome year of Gift, growth and development. We are very grateful for this team and all the work they have done in support of our Secondary Schools. Massive thanks to the Auckland Chaplaincy who let us use their facilities and Helen  for facilitating the session. We look forward to seeing u all at our Discernment session and Ignite 14 Retreat in the beginning of the new year.

---

November Week 02

THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL BEGINS!

Today we officially launched our Vinnies Christmas Appeal for families. This appeal is for families that we have worked with throughout the year. The crew have started sorting and will begin work on the database of names that has been compiled.

Last year around 3000 gifts were donated and distributed to families and individuals in emergency housing facilities, prisons, elderly homes and those who have sought assistance through the Kingsland Vinnies Centre. We wish to thank all the amazing donors and volunteers who made this happen.

---

THANK YOU FROM CHANEL COLLEGE

Recently the youth team have been able to connect in with the schools that we freighted several classroom lots of school desks and chairs. The students sent back numerous letters of thanks to the Society and to the many awesome schools around Auckland that donated the desks and chairs. A big thank you especially to Marist College for providing 3 classroom lots of furniture. Know that these resources have gone a long way to ensuring that students are supported in their education. A very special thankyou also to Polynesian Shipping for your sponsorship ofnthe cartage…we are so greatful! May God bless you.

---

November Week 01

TOPPING UP THE FOODBANK

The Society of St Vincent de Paul are thankful for the generous donations of the local community.   It is always a good feeling to be able to do a bulk shopping of food to top up the food bank and a few treats for kids. There is always a high demand for food and we are especially grateful for the money coming in from the Vinnies Op Shop and also from generous donors who make this possible.

---

VOLUNTEERING @ VINNIES SHOPS

Tala and Niagaai posing with ‘Manny’, at the Kingsland Vinnies Centre

We are so grateful for all of our volunteers who give numerous hours to sort, clean, merchandise and serve the customers who come through our Vinnies shops throughout Auckland. Shop volunteers are the backbone of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. They work hard to raise money of our food-banks and all our special work in support of families and individuals seeking help. They are also the the ones who deal with people seeking help on a day to day basis. Thank you to the hundreds of Vinnies shop Volunteers who give of their time.

---

FOODWISE COOKING CLASSES

The kitchen was abuzz with activity, families making an assortment of meals.

Today the Youth Team had the opportunity to visit Monte Cecilia Housing Trust and help facilitate cooking classes with the mothers. It was such a gift to spend time with these lovely people at this emergency housing facility. The class consisted of baking banana cakes and cooking up woks of butter chicken and rice for their families.

The sense of love and comradeship was abuzz in the air as all worked together to create these wonderful meals. The Vinnies team really enjoyed teaching and watching these mom’s create perfect scrumptious, nutritious and low cost meals.

---

LOVING THY NEIGHBOUR

At the crack of dawn, a group of Vinnies from Hellensville Parish took to the great outdoors of their community for some landscaping. The hard working team spent time mowing lawns and cleaning up a mass amount of wood and trees for a local resident. This young group of Vinnies have had a superb year, serving it up at James Liston Hostel on several occasions as well as preparing bulk meals for families.

---

THANK YOU JAMES LISTON HOSTEL

Staff of James Liston Hostel alongside members of the SVdP Youth Team

For over 50 weeks this year, students from both tertiary and secondary levels have had the opportunity to serve meals and sit down with the residents of this hostel. We wish to thank the Management and the staff of James Liston Hostel for accommodating and mentoring the Vinnes youth teams who were rostered on to volunteer throughout this year. Having access to volunteer in this space has made a world of a difference for the youth that have been coming through.

---

CREATIVE KITS FOR CREATIVE MINDS

As part of the theme ‘Positive Socialisation’,  Baradene College Vinnies have made a collection “Creative Kits” for students of a school dedicated to students with intellectual disabilities.

Earlier this year two ex-Baradene after travelling on a service trip to Samoa returned inspired to make a difference. They came up with the idea of ” Creative Kits” and proposed it to their former school. They asked the Vinnies there to create “Creative Kits” as they saw first hand the need for resources and also ideas that were easy for the teachers to implement.

The Vinnies at Baradene College spent several weeks researching and putting together “Creative kits.” Bulk materials were collected and instructions were carefully typed out by the Vinnies to accompany each kit. It such an awesome initiative. We can’t wait to see the students get creative and try making masks, dream catchers, fish and turtles themselves.