Notre Dame article – OTS donations

In our Street ministry there are so many groups that our SSVP Youth Conference are grateful for. From Corporate partners to high schools and elementary schools, other charitable organizations, fellow Vincentians from other Conferences within our Particular Council, the list goes on. We wish to highlight one group that surprised us this year with four collections.
This group that sticks out the most is our partnerships, Notre Dame Catholic Elementary School in London, ON.
Without fail their students, staff and parents go overboard with their generosity to ensure our supplies are plentiful! The school year starting September 2023 to present date, have never stopped collecting supplies for our Street Ministry. Our first collection was in October, Winter socks for our people who are homeless. Then they decided to do another gathering of food items for the colder months in November, so they had enough calories for the winter months. The movements continued with Hygiene products in December so we could have these supplies for our Christmas Give away. I did not think they could give more to our ministry, but I was wrong…they came up a brilliant way to collect an easy source of food for our “Brothers and Sisters” who live rough on the streets of London.

Always instigated by this one amazing teacher, Rosanna Gioiosa, who happens to be the mother of two of our past Presidents, Olivia, and her sister Adria. These two wonderful ladies have been involved in our Conferences combined years close to ten seasons.

Mrs. Gioiosa produces a Cereal Box Game for Dominos! Collecting 240 boxes of cereal in less than 2 weeks, lined them up in the halls of the school so once one box of cereal is tipped over, they knock each box down with the kinetic energy of the initial topple. Absolutely, an ingenious, fun way to motivate the young students to help with this collection and give to those in need quick access to instant food source of boxed cereal!

Bravo, to the students, staff, and parents of Notre Dame, who constantly give to our Charitable cause! Helping in so many ways, this leaves our SSVP Youth Conference in AWE of their abundance of kindness and compassion. Thank you to the whole community of Oakridge in London, ON. God has blessed our Youth Conference with the BEST partners, while we do HIS work!