“I enjoyed working with a team to help build a prosthetic hand and learning about the impact that community organizations have, both locally and internationally”

“I really liked spending time with the few old ladies preparing meals at Penrith Community Kitchen”

“We were able to fill up quite a few bags with rubbish on Manly beach with our Clean Up Australia Day event”

“Seeing the first-hand impact of Saints Care was truly rewarding” “I definitely feel more informed and inspiring after this retreat”

“My biggest take away from the weekend is that living generously is an active choice. It may not always be easy, but making the choice to help others can be quite rewarding”

A weekend of visits to community support organisations in Sydney had dual impact. The organisations we visited clearly benefited from our practical help: packing 400 showbags for Youth Rezolutions so that their recipients at the Hills Youth Festival felt valued and supported; lightening the load for the volunteers at Penrith Community Kitchen from our few hours of meal preparation so they can serve free hot meals to locals; helping the inhabitants of the coastal environment at Manly beach by clearing pieces of plastic from the foreshore; constructing a prosthetic hand for an amputee via the at Helping Hands Program. Without a doubt, these are life changing impacts. Mirroring this, however, was the impact on the Young Adults who came to learn about generosity with Malcolm Stephenson and immerse themselves in a range of volunteering opportunities. They recognized the great need in our communities and the ways they can step up to help. This is the important work we, as Community of Christ, do: a small, dedicated group of young adults equipped to step up and seek out Christlike ways of making a difference in their world.

Kristie Woodward

Community Plus Co-ordinator