By Julianne Rogers
Posted in Culture
As the summer continues to heat up and everyone is getting back to work and back to school, UnitingCare SA is still reflecting on Christmas.
For the last 25 years, UnitingCare Australia has partnered with Target stores to make Christmases brighter for people doing it tough. The appeal supported through this partnership has undergone a number of name and format changes during this period – most recently, the Target and UnitingCare Christmas Appeal focussed on raising both funds and gifts for UnitingCare organisations across Australia.
Over Christmas in 2016, people across the nation contributed $1,237,043 for the appeal, in addition to donating many gifts. In South Australia, the appeal raised an amount just shy of $150,000 – all of which has contributed to supporting SA families and individuals.
Stories about how the Christmas Appeal funds have helped people have already begun to be shared.
Jack* and Sue were referred to UnitingCare Mount Gambier by a Uniting Church minister. With their two children, they had just arrived from Western Australia and were finding it very hard to make ends meet. Jack works a minimum wage job, and the couple had spent their savings on the big move. Sue was brought to tears when the team at UnitingCare handed her presents.
In Adelaide’s southern suburbs, newly widowed Sarah came to her local Uniting Church because she not only had nothing to give her three children for Christmas, but she hadn’t had any food to put on the table for three days. The local Christmas Appeal coordinator was able to give Sarah a large food hamper and toys for her children. Sarah was very thankful, and left with her arms and heart full.
In Port Augusta, the local coordinator was touched by a woman, Ann, who came into UnitingCare with two children. The gifts generated by the Christmas Appeal enabled Ann to get a present for little four-year-old Maria, but no presents had come in for 13-year-old Jason. The funds raised through the Appeal, however, provided a small Target gift card for Justin to buy himself a present. He was really pleased to receive this gift.
In the Lower Murray region, Jane wrote to UnitingCare SA a few days before Christmas and said that she had no presents for her five children. Even though all of the UnitingCare organisations were closed already, the local Uniting Church minister was willing to take time out of his very busy Christmas Eve to ensure that Jane got some assistance. This is the true spirit of Christmas.
These are just a few of the 50,000+ families who are helped every year when their circumstances catch them unawares and they face a bleak Christmas.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”(John 10:10b NIV). The gift of Jesus was, and continues to be, an extravagant gift that no one really deserves to get. As the church, we respond to this gift by giving extravagantly in return. This year, the UnitingCare Christmas Appeal has been evidence of this.
Sixteen Uniting Church congregations across South Australia partner directly with UnitingCare to help make the Christmas Appeal happen. UnitingCare SA would like to personally thank each and every congregation and coordinator for their tireless efforts. An extra special thanks goes out to the three local church coordinators who have been participating since the beginning of the Christmas Appeal 25 years ago!
UnitingCare SA would also like to give a big “thank you” to the all of the young people who participated in Operation Santa (pictured). They raised funds and bought gifts for teens in need in support of the Target and UnitingCare Christmas Appeal.
It is amazing to see congregations, leaders and young people rally together for the good of those doing it tough.
Are you keen to support people doing it tough? Pancake Day is another great opportunity to assist UnitingCare’s amazing work in the community! This fun fellowship event provides an avenue for congregations and community groups to raise funds to help UnitingCare support South Australians in need. For more information, please visit sa.uca.org.au/unitingcare-sa/pancake-day
Subscribe to receive Culture articles by email >
A couple of years ago I was participating in a course which had a smattering of people from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background. I would have said that they were good participants in class discussions but not the most active ones, and I gave little thought to it.
.png)
A UnitingCare Emergency Relief Centre was needed in the Port Adelaide-Enfield area of Adelaide. And that's when Lefevre UC and volunteers from Port Adelaide UC stepped up.
The new 'normal’ that we have entered into can certainly bring changes to how we as a church undertake international mission. However, despite this challenge we encourage reflection on the importance of partnerships, solidarity for social justice issues and ecumenical sharing.
Comments (3)