The Giving Tree Offerings from St Benedict’s School Families

Pictured: Mr Eustie Kamath, Dr Tim Hanlon, Mr Michael Hinds, Mrs Janine O’Styke and students of St Benedict’s School, Khandallah.

President of the Onslow Conference of the St Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Society, Mr Eustie Kamath, together with parent, Proprietor’s Representative on the School Board of Trustees and fellow member of the Onslow Conference of the SVdP Society, Dr Tim Hanlon, both attended a ceremonial presentation of gifts by the children on 10th December 2019. The School had chosen the SVdP Society as its charity of choice to benefit from their Giving Tree Collection this year. The children and their families had been generously collecting gifts and bringing them to school to support the Merry Vinnies Christmas Appeal.

Speaking to many members of the school's Catholic Character team, House Captains, and Mission Fair organising students in the School Library, Mr Eustie Kamath told them: ‘More than three hundred children will be touched by the generosity of those giving gifts to the Merry Vinnies Christmas Appeal, including these wonderful donations from the family community of St Benedict’s School’. The School Principal, Mr Michael Hinds and Director of Religious Studies, Mrs Jacqueline Miranda, had both been very supportive of the initiative given the strong link to the SVdP Society within the Parish.

Some of the children gave their thoughts on the Giving Tree Appeal:

Grace Lucas (Year 6) said ‘I think it is a privilege to be able to bring people less fortunate than ourselves joy’. Whilst Carl Novila (Year 8) said that ‘the Giving Tree is all about empathy; you feel for other people. By donating gifts you are expressing the EPIC values and giving happiness to kids who otherwise wouldn’t get anything for Christmas’. Emilia Dmochowski (Year 8) said ‘It is important to give to less fortunate people because they also deserve to have a very special Christmas. When families get presents their faces light up and some even start crying with joy. Giving makes everyone feel great.’

By Dr Timothy Hanlon