NEWSLETTER CHRISTMAS 2012
A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9, NIV)
show your love and regard for others all year round - not just at Christmas: the hungry children in Rotorua who rely on the Fulfill food van, or the young school leavers helped by the Young Workers Resource Centre in Hamilton who teaches them life skills not otherwise learned.
Over 2000 years ago, three magi travelled from afar, guided by the star of Bethlehem to a manger in which lay the baby Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. They paid him homage and brought him gifts of gold, franckinsense and myrhh. Today, we celebrate the birth of Christ with our Catholic community at Christmas Mass and with our friends and family at home with the exchange of gifts, to show our love and regard for others.
As Christmas approaches, may we please ask for your help yet once again? Any amount you choose to support us with will be much appreciated, and will go towards funding a myriad of service providers who serve those who can’t help themselves.
The Catholic Care Foundation thanks you for all your gifts throughout the year, without which many in our local diocesan communities would have gone without food, shelter or a helping hand. Because of you, we are able to
Thank you for taking the time to read our Christmas newsletter, and we wish you a happy and blessed Christmas. God Bless Liz Pennell General Manager
CRUISING FOR CHRIST ON THE STREETS OF ROTORUA Every week at least 160 Rotorua children keep watch for a white van that cruises the poorer areas of the city on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. The van has the word Fullfill painted on the side, and the children know that it’s carrying free food. It travels an accustomed route, and at every stop children emerge, some shy, some wanting to chat, but all hungry and happy to get something nourishing to eat and drink. Forty St Vincent de Paul volunteeers take turns to stock the van with milo or soup, sandwiches and fruit, and drive the twice-weekly route through the city. Year 12 girls from John Paul College also come to help. “This is faith in action,” says St Vincent de Paul Thermal Lands president Claire Ryan. She says the Fullfill van project has been running for three years in Rotorua and is modelled on similar operations in Tauranga and Hamilton. “It fills a real need, helping families to stretch the food budget through the week and giving them a sense that someone cares.” The van also stocks informationon on community agencies from the Citizens’ Advice Bureau to family support and budgeting services for the parents who sometimes appear with their children, seeking help.
A warm drink, a sandwich and a piece of fruit bring a smile to many children who gather around the Fullfill van.
“I enjoy it,” says Claire. “I enjoy meeting the children and talking with them. We have our regulars who know us and are waiting for us.” The children are polite, thanking the volunteers as they serve out the food. Smiles and chit-chat are exchanged. It’s a peaceful trip. Empty tummies are filled, questions answered, and volunteers return home feeling rewarded. But food and petrol cost money and the project relies on donations to keep going. So Catholic Care Foundation has granted $10,000 to St Vincent de Paul Thermal Lands to help keep the Fullfill van project on the road in Rotorua for another year.
SETTING UP YOUNG PEOPLE FOR LIFE Many school leavers today are ‘streetwise’ but are often unprepared for the ‘real’ world. This can lead to poor employment outcomes, debt and, ulitmately, increasingly stratified communities. Many youth support services have identified this as an on-going problem and have therefore endorsed a new programme in Hamilton that is making it simpler for young school leavers to make the transition into the paid workforce. Thanks to $1200 support from Catholic Care Foundation, the Young Workers Resource Centre has launched an initiative called the Change Makers Committee. This group holds monthly meetings for school leavers to learn about and discuss issues that are important and relevant to them as they take their first steps towards independence and a working life. The centre’s Educator Coordinator, Kylie Zinsli, says topics for discussion are chosen by the group and they include insurance, credit card debt, StudyLink, tenancy rights and sexual health. She says most of the topics covered are generally not taught at school. Yet they are important for a young person’s development and contribute to their ability to make sound and informed life decisions. She says many young people don’t know that credit cards charge high interest rates - or even what interest rates are. They don’t understand the need for third party insurance if their own car is a “wreck”, and they don’t consider that a StudyLink allowance of $160 a week adds up to a debt of over $8,000 in a year. If they have come from a casual school culture, they may not recognise that spending time on personal matters and texting friends is not appropriate behaviour in the workplace.
Behind the scenes, Kylie Zinsli supports the work of the Change Makers Committee.
Kylie, who is 24, says she has seen young people, including friends, make silly mistakes with their lives. So this youth-centred, peer support initiative is designed to help young people onto the right path for their future. Each attendee takes on the responsibility of sharing what they learn with at least one other friend, says Kylie, so this is also a way of spreading the right messages by word of mouth. “Change Makers is a youth-directed life skills programme that fills a gap in the education system and prepares young people for a sustainable future,” says Kylie. “So if you know a young person who needs some help in this area, tell them to call 07 834 7124 to find out when and where our next session is, and what the topic will be.”
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