Christ is Risen, Indeed He is Risen!
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink” (Matthew 25:35)
Under the auspices of His Eminence Metropolitan Basilos, a group of youth was formed in Melbourne with representatives from various parishes to enhance almsgiving in our community. In collaboration with ACOY Victoria, the group has organised an annual Pascha Charity Drive for the past few years. This year we collected donations between MeatFare Sunday to Palm Sunday and had our Packing event in Bright week.
This year, by God’s grace, our Pascha Charity Drive reached a significant milestone, collecting over 7200 items across different churches. These items included 600 units each of shampoos, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorants, sanitary pad packs, sultanas, tuna cans, soaps, hand sanitisers, muesli bars, popcorn, and crackers.
We are humbled by the overwhelming support received from all parishes and the enthusiastic participation of volunteers of all ages in packing the donated items. The Pascha Charity Drive has become a cherished community event, reflecting the spirit of compassion and generosity.
On April 19th, the Pascha Charity Drive culminated with a packing night. The event started with a guest speaker from Paradise 4 Kids Food Van in St Albans. The charity provides hot meals to families and individuals in need every Tuesday night. Many youths from our Archdiocese have volunteered at this food van. After the talk, the youths proceeded to pack the donated items into bags, with over 50 volunteers from all parishes actively participating.
A total of 300 packs were assembled, which were subsequently donated to two charities. With the support of Bright Sparq, 150 packs were given to Frontyard Youth Services, and another 150 packs were donated to Ronald McDonald House North Fitzroy. The remaining 1000’s of items were donated to Paradise 4 Kids for distribution to families in need.
We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported us during this year’s Pascha Charity Drive, as well as in previous years. We hope to continue our mission of giving to those in need, inspired by the spirit of compassion and service exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ.
