What can we do? Nude Food Day and Action for change

Nude Food Day

Friday 18 October was Catherine McAuley College’s first Nude Food Day, a part of our efforts to be a more environmentally-aware community.

The goal of Nude Food Day is to bring recess and lunch to school without excess packaging such as ziplock bags, clingwrap or alfoil. This reduces the amount of ‘stuff’ that needs to go in bins to be sent to landfill.

We thank everyone in our College community who participated on the day by trying to lessen their impact on our environment.

For more information on what you can do at home and school to live more sustainably then check out planetark.com for little ways you can make a big difference for our common home.

Miss Eliza Turner, Trainee

Term 4 Local Focus

Our College fundraising focus for Term 4 is our local community. Staff and students are currently working together to support the work of Sister Kathy and other local organizations such as Bendigo Foodshare. Fundraisers and activities will be taking place throughout this term to offer our support, enhance awareness and raise funds.

Bendigo Foodshare is a not-for-profit organization that is governed by a local board and staffed by volunteers to support families across Central Victoria who are struggling with food scarcity. They provide meals for thirty-four programs that cook and serve food at no cost. Any contribution we make will greatly support Bendigo Foodshare.

• $1 = 16 healthy meals
• $5 = 80 healthy meals (about the cost of a coffee)
• $25 = Food for a family of four for a month
• $40 = School meals for thirty children for a month

If you wish to know more about the wonderful work being done by Bendigo Foodshare then have a look at their website bendigofoodshare.org.au to see how you can get involved or to donate.

Keep an eye out for more information about fundraising efforts this term in our newsletter or by checking daily messages on SIMON.

Miss Erin Varker, Trainee

World Mission Sunday

Sunday, 20 October is World Mission Sunday. We are reminded by Pope Francis in his message for this day of our own call – that each one of us ‘is a mission; that is the reason for our life on this earth.’

We pray especially for missionaries, particularly our Mercy Sisters and partners-in-Mercy, far from home, working with communities in different parts of the world to bring fullness of life to people through different projects.
Ailish O’Brien rsm writes about her mission in South Sudan.
“Coincidentally, I am reminded very much of ‘Mission’ as the month of October arrives and we reflect on the message of Pope Francis for World Mission Day, 2019. In his message, Pope Francis says, “This missionary mandate touches us personally: I am a mission, always; you are a mission, always; every baptized man and woman is a mission.” So, it is not just the Sudanese seminarian who is privileged to journey throughout the whole of his life with the name of ‘Mission’. All of us baptised Christians are mandated to be ‘Mission’…

Read the full article: https://www.mercyworld.org/newsroom/on-mission-in-south-sudan-by-ailish-o-brien-rsm/

17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

2019 Theme: Acting Together to Empower Children, their Families and Communities to End Poverty.

“In all places and circumstances, we are called to hear the cry of the poor.” (Pope Francis, Ev Gaudium #191)

FACTS… 836 million people live in extreme poverty, most live in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

War and conflict results in mass migration, deprivation and environmental degradation. Women and children are most vulnerable when there is little food and no social protection. One in four of the world’s children suffer stunted growth, which also inhibits learning.

500 million small farms worldwide provide 80% of the food consumed in developing countries.

A THIRD of the World’s food supply could be saved by reducing waste – enough to feed 3 billion people!

What can we do?

PERSONAL CHALLENGES

I will…

• A. Pray in support of the vulnerable and those accompanying them.
• B. Make a commitment to live more simply. Take the ‘carbon footprint questionnaire.’
• C. Eat more simply on certain days, without extras. Donate what you save to a charity.
• D. Commit to not wasting food at home or when you eat out. One meat free day?
• E. Purchase only what I need when shopping!