Christ is Born!
The lead-up to Christmas is always a busy time for St Raphael’s Mission (SRM) as they prepare for the Christmas Feast for the homeless which was held on 19th December 2022.
Preparation for this Christmas Feast began in November with a hamper drive where people across Sydney all worked together to donate much-needed items as well as funds to complete the list of items needed.
Once all the items had been gathered, SRM organised an Almsgiving Day on 17th December 2022 whereby 40 volunteers of all ages worked tirelessly to pack 120 hampers for the homeless as well as make tea and coffee packs for each Monday night in January.
A full day of preparation was needed on Monday 19 December for the Christmas Feast, which included cooking, collecting, packaging, and packing the vans. SRM was blessed with the help of 15 Volunteers who were able to pack and prepare 150 meals for the homeless that afternoon.
Once all the preparation had been completed, the SRM team then headed into the city where there were approximately 120 homeless individuals waiting. After praying the ‘Our Father’ together, the Christmas feast was served. After the dinner was served, the homeless then lined up again to receive their hampers filled with summer essentials such as an insulated water bottle, non-perishable food items and Christmas Cards which had been handmade by the Archdiocese Church School students. There was also the opportunity for the homeless to receive a free haircut.
Once the Christmas feast had concluded, the SRM team then drove to Central Station handing out the remaining Christmas hampers to those sleeping rough.
SRM would like to thank everyone who assisted with the Christmas Feast and hamper drive as all of this would not have been possible without your contributions. SRM is truly blessed and thankful to have the full support of the community not just with this Christmas feast but over the last 10 years and pray that you continue to support SRM in the future.
