Faith, Justice and Formation
A Just and Sustainable Christmas for Parents and Carers
As we commence the season of Advent soon, many of us start to think and plan for Christmas. Whether it is where and with whom we will be celebrating Christmas lunch, or where we will be holidaying or when to start our Christmas shopping. It is also a time we can reflect on how to Shine Our Light and consider people less fortunate than ourselves, and the best way to reach out and help. Most times financial donations are convenient, and very welcomed but not the only way we can assist. Giving our time too can also be very rewarding and powerful, and a great example to our children. Perhaps reaching out to someone experiencing grief or loneliness, or someone elderly around us, can be the “good” we do this year.
You may also consider supporting one of our partners.Cana Farm (Cana Farm Charity Organisation | Community Nurturing Growth and Acceptance) is a wonderful organisation that provides meaningful employment for people in a transitional period. By purchasing their fresh produce, hampers or gift sets you can support their mission to care and support those people who suffer from illness, addiction and homelessness and are struggling to integrate into the community. [Their Christmas Catalogue was linked in last week’s Especean.]
House of Welcome (HoW) Catering Menu — HW Catering (howcatering.org.au) supports refugees and people seeking asylum in numerous ways including providing employment opportunities that equip refugees with the skills, confidence and qualifications to secure future employment. You can support them by taking a Friday night off from cooking and ordering a home delivered meal or use HoW to cater a Christmas function.
You may also like to consider a sustainable eco-friendly Christmas in order to reduce our carbon footprint and eliminate unnecessary waste ending up in our landfills - a great Christmas gift to our environment! Check out the following tips for making the most of the Christmas season while saving energy and avoiding waste:
- When it comes to decorations, think about making your own using natural and recyclable materials such as leaves, foliage, dried citrus fruits, recyclable glass bottles and natural fabrics, and avoiding purchasing single-use plastic decorations. Pinterest has many great DIY Christmas decoration ideas ranging from Christmas wreaths to baubles to table settings.
- When entertaining, consider using washable plates, cutlery, and napkins rather than plastic disposable ones and always include a separate bin for recyclables.
- When wrapping presents, use tea towels or natural cloths decorated with leaves and flowers and send out e-Christmas cards.
- Think about using LED Christmas lights to reduce your eco footprint (and save on power bills) and remember to turn them off when not in use.
As parents/carers we know it can be tough, but we also want to create a better world for our children and grandchildren, and this includes helping them develop themselves as people who walk with and for the other in life.
Claudia Elias on behalf of Parents SOL
(Parent Social Justice Group)
