The devastating bushfires that have ravaged Australia in the last few months have weighed heavy on the hearts and minds of many across the nation, including members of the CEWA community. 

Catholic schools, staff members, students and parents have banded together to support fire-affected communities, raising money for charities working in recovery efforts, as well as thinking outside the box to find ways to help. 

Corpus Christi College was one of many Catholic schools to respond quickly and practically.  

The college regularly checks its medical supplies and restocks accordingly, and over the holidays the administration team boxed up the school’s expired supplies (which were still in good condition) to donate to help animals impacted by the recent fires. 

School parent and animal lover Haylee Stutley felt she could not sit back and watch the fires burn without doing something to help, so she collected material from the Our Lady of Lourdes Dardanup community and organised a group of volunteers to create pouches for injured animals and cooling neck ties for volunteer firefighters. 

Prendiville Catholic College also found a way to get involved, and in lieu of their usual Christmas gifts for staff, the College community opted to make donations to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal. 

CEWA office-based staff in the Archdiocese of Perth also took the opportunity to direct the majority of their Christmas celebration budget to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal.

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