Caritas Australia’s Lenten fundraising and awareness appeal, Project Compassion, is now in full swing across the Sandhurst Diocese. Over the next six weeks, Sandhurst Parishes and school communities will join 1200 parishes and 1700 schools across Australia – pitching in to Unite Against Poverty.

On Shrove Tuesday, Bishop Shane Mackinlay officially launched Project Compassion in the Diocese at Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo. He spoke about Lent as an opportunity to be grateful for the abundance we have in our lives and our capacity to help others.

The theme, Unite Against Poverty, resonates deeply with the teachings of Jesus, who showed great care for the poor and marginalised. In Matthew 25, Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

This theme is explored through three inspiring stories of individuals from around the world who have overcome challenges in their own lives and gone on to become beacons of hope and resilience in their communities:

• Toefuata'iga is a primary school student in Samoa who faced severe challenges and disruptions to her learning due to water scarcity.

• Lam is a young man with a disability in rural Vietnam, on his journey from isolation to independence.

• Irene is a single mother living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who, despite experiencing extreme poverty, has become a skilled seamstress.

At a Project Compassion launch at St Mary’s Cathedral College in Sydney, Caritas Australia’s Interim CEO, Kirsten Sayers, said, “Lent is a season of reflection, prayer and almsgiving. It is a time when we are called to examine our lives and make sacrifices to help those less fortunate. During Lent, our challenge is to respond to the stories shared by Project Compassion courageously, with a yes to God’s call to us all, to work towards a world where everyone can live with dignity and hope.”

Project Compassion isn’t just about fundraising; it’s about recognising our ability to make a difference. By uniting our communities with a common goal: to support those who don’t have the same privileges. It's a chance to extend a hand to those facing hunger, poverty and injustice, and to stand in solidarity with people whose lives are worlds apart from our own.

For the six weeks of Lent, schools, students, parishes and individuals are encouraged to donate, take on The Long Walk for Water or sign up to Give it up for Lent.

For more information on ways you can support Project Compassion, as teachers, students, parishes, or individuals, visit the Project Compassion website.

To donate, look for the Project Compassion donation boxes, or envelopes. Or, visit the website, or call 1800 024 413 toll free.

Image above:  Kerry Stone, Diocesan Social and Ecological Justice Coordinator with Fr Rom Hayes, Diocesan Director for Caritas Australia at the launch in Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo on Shrove Tuesday.