At St Columban's recent out-of-uniform-day, instead of bringing a gold coin donation, each child donated a fruit or vegetable seedling to assist the Hub to get their garden up and running! Bunnings Warehouse Kotara also generously donated citrus trees, among other plants.
Year 6 students set to work, getting their hands dirty as they planted their seedlings. According to Refugee Hub Team Leader, Mirja Colding-Moran, for many of the children this was their first time in the garden.
"They absolutely loved it. Some of the kids had never even touched a plant, and were planting them upside down! But they're discovering a love of gardening and very excited to see how their plants grow," she said.
The vegetables and fruit that are grown in this garden will go towards CatholicCare's Food Programs, filling the Refugee Hub Grocery Hampers and making meals in our Community Kitchens. It was this charitable vision that inspired St Columban's to get involved in the garden.
"There are quite a few refugees at the school, with the school student body being made up of about 23 diverse nationalities," explained Mirja. "So our Refugee Hub has a very close link to the school.
Thanks to the children for making a difference in the lives of others. We can't wait to see these seedlings grow and thrive!
The Refugee Hub needs your help!
The Refugee Hub runs a weekly program where grocery hampers are provided to families in need. These families are often asylum seekers who have no income, and very low-income single parents from a refugee background who support several children on their own.
As Northern NSW is ravaged by the flood crisis, our fresh produce donations have been extremely limited. To keep providing grocery boxes for our families, the Hub has needed to dip into the emergency relief pantry, and our supplies are running critically low.
With your donations, we will be able to restock the pantry and continue providing food those who are doing it tough. These items can be dropped off at the Refugee Hub (58 Church St, Mayfield) during business hours on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Items our Refugee Hub needs include:
- Rice
- Pasta
- Pasta sauce
- Canned tomatoes
- Dried fruits
- Nuts
- Dried chickpeas
- Bottles of olive oil and vegetable oil
- Milk powder
- Semolina
- Cous cous
- Sweet biscuits
- Tea and coffee
- Incontinence pads
- Supermarket gift vouchers (for groceries only)
For more information about the Refugee Hub, visit: www.catholiccare.org.au/community-programs/community-refugee-hub
