Following our very special Outreach Mass on Thursday we presented donations from our Winter Appeal to representatives from the organisations we support, St Vincent de Paul, St Patricks and Shopfront. All of these organisations care for the most vulnerable in our society.

I would like to acknowledge those who have been instrumental in collating the many donations. Our Service Co-ordinator, Mrs Van Der Zanden, has worked tirelessly to co-ordinate the Winter Appeal, communicating with each of the organisations to determine areas of need. Ruby Mavrick, in her role as Service Captain, has co-ordinated Outreach Day, her focus being to raise money and awareness about Outreach Day, collect scarves and beanies and to co-ordinate the sorting of the clothing, food, toiletries, and blanket donations.

Our Service groups, are to be congratulated for their stalls on Outreach Day and I thank every member of our community who supported the Winter Appeal, donated goods, money or time, to assist with the stalls on Outreach Day. Our sea of red bags indicated your generosity to those in need. Over the last three years, Santa Maria College has raised over $15,000 in cash through the Winter Appeal, this does not take into consideration all the donated items that are also presented to these organisations.

By each of us demonstrating our Mercy values of Compassion, Justice, and Service, together we can all make a difference to the lives of those in our community who are most in need.