Charity/Good Works Team

Some of the volunteers from Holy Cross and Our Lady of Lourdes who helped collect food in the Food Blitz.

Close to 100 Holy Cross and Our Lady of Lourdes students, teachers and parents took part in this year’s Food Blitz on May 19^th, 2010. Based at Holy Cross for the first time, the group went out door-to-door canvassing for non-perishable food items. Then they sorted and boxed the items and loaded them into the trailer which would transport them to the Food Bank warehouse the next day. A good time was had by all, and most importantly over 110,000 food items were collected to help families in need through the Partners In Mission Food Bank.

Members of the 2010 Jamaica Mission Trip took part in the Way of the Cross Presentation.

Our Holy Week liturgies this year took the form of a Power Point depiction of the ‘Way of the Cross’ and were presented to the Holy Cross School community on April 1st. These liturgies had a very special meaning for our school community as members of the 2010 Jamaica Mission Trip carefully chose pictures from their recent trip to Kingston, Jamaica that reflected the meaning of each of the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross. They also wrote personal reflections based on their Jamaica Mission experience that connected the Stations with the pictures that had been chosen. These reflections spoke of the sufferings and the challenges that the people of Jamaica are experiencing and of how these reflect the sufferings that Jesus went through on his journey to the Cross on Calvary. The Stations concluded with a poignant song “Behold the Cross” sung by Ms. Culleton and her vocal class. Presentations were made after the liturgies to several guests of honour who were with us, including Mrs. Ann Thompson, mother of Rick Thompson (to whom the Jamaica Mission Trip was dedicated), Ms. Anne Heemskerk (Youth Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Kingston) and to Deacon Don and Jackie Dirocco, all of whom were part of the 2010 Mission Trip.

See a picture album of the Jamaica Mission Trip over the 2010 March Break.

Mrs. Kaye Bonvie from the St. Paul the Apostle C.W.L. presenting a cheque for $200.00 to Ben Locke and members of the 2010 Jamaica Mission Trip

Members of the 2010 Jamaica Service Learning Trip have been busy fund-raising for their trip over the past few months. Many church groups, including C.W.L. and Knights of Columbus Councils, have made generous donations. The group also organized a very successful garage sale in September, sold ECO bags and more recently raised over $800.00 through their “Ja’Maica Your Christmas Merry” Raffle. Thanks to all those who donated prizes for the Raffle including Van Herpt Motors, The Ambassador Hotel & Convention Centre, Zycom Technology, Pizza Hut, the Investors Group, Mino’s Restaurant, Janice & Harvey Tremeer, and Staples. As well, the group would like to express their deepest appreciation to Moe and Ann Thompson whose son Rick died on November 28. Before he died, Rick asked his friends and family to donate to the Jamaica Mission Trip in his name. He will be with us in spirit throughout the Mission Trip

While in Jamaica the fifteen Holy Cross and Regiopolis-Notre Dame students will be volunteering at several primary/remedial schools, a home for abandoned seniors and with a Youth Marching Band, all under the sponsorship of St. Patrick's Foundation. They will also be present for the signing of an official Twinning Agreement between our Archdiocese and the Archdiocese of Kingston, Jamaica. Our Archbishop Brendan O’Brien will join us in Jamaica for this historic event.

Student Council members counting and rolling money donated by Holy Cross students for the Kingston Christmas Hamper Campaign. Over $5000 was raised - $1000 more than the intial goal.

This year Student Council and the Crusaders In Community Service (CICS) set a goal of $4000.00 for our Kingston Christmas Hamper Campaign - enough to provide a full Christmas Dinner for 40 local families including gifts for any children and gift certificates for teenagers.

In mid-November, the campaign promotion began. Students and staff were encouraged to come up with creative ways of raising money, including daily waffle sales and selling popcorn and Christmas gift boxes during lunch hours. One art class held a 'Mona Lisa' cupcake sale; others rented out hammocks or sold raffle tickets. Thanks to the generosity of the HC Community, over $5000 was raised! We are making plans to deliver our Christmas Hampers and gifts to the homes of our 'adopted' families on Friday afternoon.

During the Street Patrol, members of our group paused for a picture in Nathan Phillips Square .

On Monday and Tuesday, November 16^th and 17^th, sixteen students and staff from Holy Cross and Regiopolis-Notre Dame travelled to Toronto for our annual Street Retreat. While in Toronto, the group took part in a variety of volunteer activities that focussed on the plight of the homeless, refugees, and people with HIV/AIDS. They also volunteered at St. Felix Centre and St. Francis Table where they prepared and served food for their lunch programs. On Monday night the group did a Street Patrol where they went out onto the streets of Toronto to share lunches and friendly conversation with the homeless. Each person on the retreat saw first-hand the many ways God is present in people whom our society so often looks down upon. The group also witnessed how Christ is working through the many people and agencies who are extending a helping hand to their brothers and sisters in Christ on the streets of Toronto.