Hundreds of some of Sydney’s most vulnerable children have received an early Christmas gift this year, thanks to an initiative spearheaded by the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Kogarah.
Parishioners have managed to collect more than 1,200 toys in the annual toy drive and organisers state “completely overwhelmed” by the generosity of donors, both individuals and businesses.
NGO ‘Youth off the streets’ was one of the organisations that received donations and vouchers, while earlier last week a parish delegation with Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia and Fr Athanasios distributed toys to the St. George School which caters for students with intellectual, physical and multiple disabilities.
Recipients of the donations included the Sydney Children’s hospital in Randwick, the Ronald McDonald House and charities “Pantry For the People”, ” A Touch of Kindness” and the Kogarah Storehouse.
“We express our sincere gratitude to all who helped us bring a smile to the faces of the children and their families who will be spending Christmas away from their loved ones,” a Kogarah parish post on socials reads.
Their youth group also joined in the efforts helping out distribute toys to various shelters throughout Sydney, as well as over 200 meal packages to vulnerable individuals via the St. Elesa Food Initiative, which brings together volunteers from the Kogarah and Marrickville parishes.
Many Greek organisations supported the toy drive, including the “Pontoxeniteas” Association of Sydney, the Pan-Macedonian Association of Sydney and the Pan-Thessalian Association “O Karaiskakis”, as well as individual donors such as the Koutsougeras Family, and students of the Greek schools of the Parish.
