Hoping to Help

Vinnies Christmas Appeal 2024

The highs and lows of volunteering

Volunteering can be most rewarding, but it comes with its fair share of difficult situations.  Our Parish St Vincent de Paul Conferences have faced some challenging cases this year when trying to support those in need; some have proven to be more challenging than others.  Members of St Vincent de Paul Camberwell Conference reflect on the highs and lows of their work during 2024.  

Few cases have disturbed us more this year than that of a mother and son from an oppressive Middle Eastern state who have been effectively deserted by the husband, who has returned to his homeland. The mother, who wants to live and bring up her son in a free country, has refused to return with him. The husband is quite well off in his homeland, there but provides no support, as he hopes this will compel her to return. She has professional qualifications and has found relatively well-paid employment in her field, but they are struggling financially. Their rented accommodation is quite expensive and takes up most of her salary before bills and other living expenses are considered. She works long hours to get along and has been unable to find less expensive accommodation. The son is in middle secondary school and is doing very well in all aspects of his education. Our Camberwell Conference has assisted with food vouchers and some bills and rent but cannot cover the shortfalls which this family faces as an ongoing situation.

Along with the challenges we are able to provide some Christmas Cheer this year.

Each year Camberwell Conference members have the pleasure of meeting all our regular clients just before Christmas when delivering Vinnies bags full of good cheer. These contain a Christmas cake, chocolate, confectionary, jam, toiletries and some staple food items – as well as supermarket vouchers and donations from the Parish Advent Giving Tree and Rotary. In the past, conferences in the Camberwell Regional area were able to participate with the Salvation Army and CamCare in the packing and distribution of Christmas parcels, but this arrangement has since been discontinued. Our members believe that replacing the practice with just another food voucher lacks something special and voted to continue the tradition of providing Christmas Gift Bags. As these parcels are a more tangible reminder of Christmas in the lives of often lonely people who look forward to their arrival a few days before December 25, we have persisted and set up our own Camberwell Conference assembly line to pack nearly 40 Vinnies bags with purchased and donated good cheer. If you think that shopping for a family makes for a heavy load, try our members’ expeditions to the SPC outlet in Bayswater and the local supermarkets in Camberwell! We thank all those who have made it possible for us to continue this tradition.

All donations to our Christmas Appeal are gratefully appreciated.  To donate to the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal,  you may like to take a tag from the Advent Giving Tree or use the QR code. To learn more about the works of St Vincent de Paul visit Vinnies.

It’s your compassion and support that makes our work possible.  Financial donations play a critical role in sustaining the Society.  The annual Vinnies Winter and Christmas appeals are the primary local fundraising activity of our Conferences. 

Our Conferences are always looking for new members to assist in our work.  If you are interested in joining or finding out more about our works, please contact the Conference President(s) via the Parish Office.

Once again, we thank our fellow parishioners for their prayers and generous support for our work throughout the year.

Camberwell Con

Photograph: Max and Geraldine, members of Camberwell Conference

Published: 6 December 2024