National
In the past 2 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has been at the forefront of everyone’s mind. The CFCA community in Australia, through its Chapters, responded with initiatives in response to the impacts of COVID-19 to various sectors of our society. LIA coordinated a national effort to provide relief and assistance to those affected by COVID-19 through a project called “CFCA CARES: We’re all in this together”.
In Australia, we have responded to different bushfire appeals for help specially in December of 2019 during the catastrophic wildfire season, forged a partnership with the St Vincent de Paul, Blacktown in providing help to the most marginalised members of our community, supported refugee appeals for help through the Parish (Good Shepherd) Refugee Program, supported a feeding program in Queensland through the initiative of a Capuchin priest, helped many International students badly affected by the Covid 19 pandemic and many more projects Australia wide.
In the Philippines, we have conducted several Medical Missions starting July 2018 in some of the most remote areas that have never ever been visited by any medical practitioners in places like Alegria, Cebu, Sorsogon and Saranggani in General Santos City. We have partnered with Fr. Jerry Orbos of the SVD, in supporting his charity initiatives through the Sacred Heart Parish in Kamuning, Quezon City in providing meals and grocery items to more than 100 very poor families on a weekly basis and also through the Fr Jansen Center in Tayuman, Sta Cruz, Manila with almost the same charity works. We have supported several and many appeals for help specially when the Philippines was hit by successive destructive typhoons in 2018 and 2019. We have extended help to such big charitable organisations like the Lacura Vincula Foundation in Palawan, the Hospicio de San Jose in Manila, Project Purok Barba in Bukidnon, Munting Tahanan Foundation in Mabalacat, Pampanga, cash donations to a housing Project in Bicol and many other projects in the different parts of the Philippines.
For the year ending 2020, the WWP was able to fund 26 Australian projects and 46 overseas costing about $88,000.00. We sourced our funds from different fund-raising campaigns like raffle ticket sales, sports tournaments like golf and bowling, dinner parties, garage sales and from donations of individual and corporate benefactors.
South Australia
In 2019, CFCA Adelaide’s project in Alibang Annex School in Zambales Philippines for the education of Aeta kids achieved a milestone event, completing Phase 1 of the project which focused on roof restoration. Timber trusses were replaced, including purlins and other framed structures, which were destroyed by white ants. The façade of the school was also provided with roof extension, to protect the students from rain and heat. This project was funded by the proceeds of CFCA Adelaide’s “work with the poor” fundraising events. Phase 2 of the school improvement project (replacement of doors and windows, improvement of toilet, staff house facilities and water supply system) was implemented with funds coming from the National raffle proceeds.
CFCA Adelaide also donated $1,500.00 to the victims of the super cyclone Idai that hit Zimbabwe in April 2019, which was coordinated by Elizabeth Beta, one of our HOLD members, who hails from Zimbabwe.
In 2020, during the height of COVID, CFCA Adelaide assisted university students in need by providing monetary support.