On Christmas Day 2018, St Joseph’s Ramsbottom IMPACT Group came together with parishioners and members of our community to make a difference by hosting a Christmas Dinner for the lonely, vulnerable, poor and homeless. Overall, there were 85 guests who attended.
To fund the event, the Group raised money at Church after making an appeal to the congregation after weekend Masses. Their remarks focused on the Gospel message of Jesus: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brother, that you do unto me”. The amount raised was over £300.
In addition to this, an online donation page was set up and shared on social media. This raised an impressive £2000 and allowed the Group to buy all the food and other items needed for the meal. It also meant that each guest would be able to receive a present from the young leaders.
One of the additional benefits of the action was the sense of community and collaboration that was generated by it. The local shopping centre donated a tree and decorations, parishioners gave chair covers, table cloths and help set up the room, the Manchester branch of the Council of Christian and Jews, as well as members of the Muslim community, provided the transport for the guests.
The young leaders said of the event: “We could not have taken on and carried out this challenge without the amazing help of our parish and wider community. It was very humbling and a beautiful experience, we can all honestly say that we couldn’t find a better way to spend Christmas Day.”
Marc Besford, National Training and Development Worker, congratulated the Group saying: “When I heard about how the young leaders had done such an amazing action, I was incredibly impressed. The Group is an inspiration and a fine example of how working through the YCW Method can produce amazing results.”
