St Gerard Majella Conference – Maroochydore – Report to Parish for 2023-2024

We wish to express our gratitude to all Parishioners for your generous support of St Vincent de Paul Society at Maroochydore and advise you of our activities over the past financial year. Since our Conference commenced on 7^th November 1982, we have grown into the largest Conference in Queensland. We have 33 Members, 14 Associate Members and 4 Associate Life Members.  No paid staff operate in our Support Office, we are all volunteers.

We open 3 days per week and 1479 contacts came through our doors, enabling us to help 3670 people over the past year. Day-to-day assistance is made up of food parcels, digital food vouchers, pharmacy vouchers for prescriptions and emergency fuel cards. We also pay for work boots where appropriate, to enable our companions to gain employment. When people need items from the Vinnies Shop next door, we give them Vinnies Cards supplied by the Society. We receive donated fresh food from OZ Harvest and Aldi. Urban Angels provide us with frozen meals. The total value of assistance provided this last financial year ending 30 June 2024 was $156,294.17. St Gerard Majella Conference actively supports families struggling with the cost of their children’s education. Our conference members raise funds for our “Smart Start for Students Fund”, with $5730.00 raised from BBQs at Bunnings and weekly Italian lessons given by a qualified conference member. Shamus Conway and team notably contributed both time and talent to these sausage sizzles.

Vincentians play a vital role in assisting those in need. We are often the only people who listen to their stories who aren’t paid to do so. When individuals seek our help, we give them our time and listen carefully to the underlying story which has led them to our door. Based on an
interview assessment, we visit their home to help with furniture, offer educational help in the form of the Children’s Education Fund for their children or give them a voucher to help put food on the table. We don’t have appointments for interviews, our doors are open to those in
need. Beyond these essential tasks, some Vincentians contribute by picking up furniture from donors which is then taken to the Vinnies Shop and made available for needy people. We also have Vincentians working at the front desk inputting critical data into our computer system.

As well as our own education funding, the Society in Queensland runs the Children’s Education Fund which is open to students from low-income families throughout Queensland. The total funds supplied by SVDP QLD and given out through Conferences in November was $910,666.64, totally sourced from Society funds. Our share of the funds was $17,867 and our own Regional Council topped up this amount by $2,253 so that 90 children from 51 families locally benefited from this ‘hand up’.

Keeping Queenslanders Housed Report

A relatively new program called Keeping Queenslanders Housed has helped several of our Companions to stay in their rental unit after receiving a large increase in their rent at the end of a Lease. The KQH pays the rent increase up to $100 a week for 26 weeks. The most important thing is to keep a roof over your head, as there are no vacant units in our area.

The CEO Sleepout at Maroochydore Beach in June raised $110,000 for our Region. Mario Barbagallo from Maroochydore Conference participated in this year’s Sleepout with his sleeping bag, a pillow and two sheets of cardboard for comfort. He raised over $5000.00. Money raised in 2023 was used in relation to the purchase of 90 nights emergency accommodation, rental of caravan sites, purchase of a tent, payment of 19 weeks rent, relocation costs, storage registration of residential van and purchase of essential white goods and furniture. The remaining funds to help with Diocesan investments are quarantined for any future capital works opportunities, including partnerships with the Society’s Housing Company, Vinnies Housing.

Our regular fundraisers are the Winter and Christmas Appeal. We can always rely on wonderful support from parishioners in both instances. Our three Catholic schools all helped us to help others by donating tents, toiletries, and funds. The toiletries help us prepare shower packs for homeless people.

Our SVDP Bursary is awarded to encourage students to demonstrate respect and empathy towards those in need. These students have shown exceptional compassion in their daily lives. Min Bennett received the Tertiary Bursary for Siena Catholic College, Amelia Kay was awarded the Primary Bursary for Siena Primary, and Lucy Mackie was granted the Bursary for Stella Maris in November 2023.

As we look back on Christmas 2023, we provided 140 Christmas Hampers with generous contributions from parishioners and our three catholic schools.  Olga Girle and her team worked hard to present beautiful hampers for these families and individuals.  We look on Christmas as a holy season and the people who received our hampers were surely blessed.

We seek to expand our membership so that our ‘good works’ can continue. If you’re interested in learning more about our work, please speak to Vincentians you see at Mass. Our new members are Paul Casey and Tony Hannon. VALE to two members we lost this year, Judy McLaren and Max Lennox, please pray for them.

Finally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support, as your generosity consistently shines through whenever we ask. Your kindness is deeply appreciated, and we are genuinely thankful.

 Carmel Barbagallo—President 28/9/2024