St Cath’s new charity initiative

Schools

Pooja Patel
5 May 2009

Amid the buzz of a new year, a new group has evolved in the heart of St Catherine’s (Mercy) College called the ‘Mercy Crew’, whose members aim to help those in need. Their first goal—not to change the world but to start at home—led to a decision to help those women forced to flee to the Women’s Refuge.

On Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) the Mercy Crew sold pancakes, for any kind of toiletries rather than money. As people waited in line for their pancakes, the Crew collected a huge number of toiletries. These were packaged, ready to present to any woman who arrives empty-handed at one of the refuges in Wellington.

As one of the girls said, ‘It’s just a whole different feeling when you do it for someone else.’  Looks like they have captured the essence of Mercy.

Pooja Patel is in Year 13 at St Catherine’s and president of the Mercy Crew.