Following the wave of disasters that beset our neighbourhood in early October, many Australians felt helpless. However, at this critical time of devastation in our region, sparks of hope were ignited in the hearts of many to step out in faith and offer assistance. BASICGIFT (Brothers And Sisters In Christ — Growing In Faith Together), a youth group from Holy Spirit Parish in St Clair, was among those who heard the call for action.
An idea conceived over dinner by members of a small group of youth leaders became an event that involved more than 800 people, thousands of dollars in donations, and piles of clothes, shoes, blankets and toys.
BASICGIFT witnessed an outpouring of support by the community and a display of humanity at its best, with one of the organisers saying: "We met people from all over Sydney who came down to St Clair just to show their support for this event. It was such a humbling sight to see so many people united for this important cause."
Former Australian Idol finalists Joseph Gatehau and Sidney Maynard shared the stage with DJ Manny, V-Tribe, Bottle Shop, Filmoans, LOWKEE & SAMAZING, Built to Charm, MC Trey, Island Heat and many more.
The event raised more than $12,500, which has been channelled through Caritas Australia to its Communities in Crisis programs in Samoa, Tonga, the Philippines and Indonesia.
When asked why they had chosen to go through Caritas Australia, one of the concert organisers said: "We valued their transparency, their focus on building partnerships and creating sustainability."
Caritas sends its heartfelt thanks to BASICGIFT and all those who donated their time and skills to make the One Mind and One Heart Pacific Aid Appeal concert such a great success. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we managed to raise nearly $2.5 million through the Caritas Australia Communities in Crisis Appeal. This enable us to reach out to more than 277,000 affected people across our region. Learn more about the Communities in Crisis Appeal.
This blog post is based on the report by Miranda Vaurasi, Catholic Outlook December 2009/January 2010.
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