THE youth of Darra Jindalee parish are challenging other youth groups to join in and help people in need during the approaching winter months.
The group, led by youth worker, Jo Woodward, has come up with the idea of collecting tins of soup and blankets to aid the St Vincent de Paul Society’s annual winter appeal.
The youth of Darra Jindalee are also going one step further and challenging other youth groups in Brisbane to beat their target of 200 blankets and 500 tins of soup.
During the freak storm that lashed Brisbane and surrounding areas on March 9, St Vinnies lost hundreds of blankets and mattresses.
“St Vincent de Paul has been left without many of their winter supplies after their warehouse in Yatala and their depot in Woodridge were damaged by the recent storms and flooding,” said Jo.
“This is purely a youth initiative and we hope to get the entire Darra Jindalee parish community and other Brisbane parishes involved.
“Now we’ve put out the word to other groups to join us and see if we can get a bigger response for St Vinnies,” she said.
The appeal will be launched at the 5.30pm Mass at Twelve Apostles Church, Jindalee on April 29.
The appeal will officially end on May 27 when a presentation of soup and blankets will be made to a Vinnies representative at the 5.30pm youth Mass at Jindalee.
“We’ve also got support from the Darra Jindalee School community to collect soup and blankets at the annual fete on May 20, so we’re looking for generous donations from the community,” said Jo.
The youth group plans to approach local businesses to help with the appeal.
Jo has started contacting other parish youth workers and ministers including Luka Petrovic from St Thomas and Regina Caeli parishes, Camp Hill/Coorparoo; David Jorna, who is campus minister at Carmel College, Thornlands and Patrick Walsh from St Johns Wood parish at The Gap.
The youth group that collects the highest number of soup tins and blankets will be treated to a free meal as their prize.
