On December 23, 2021, as Christmas was approaching, the entire board of the Santa Maria Foundation, which is involved in Education, together with our schools in Pekalongan, held an outreach service. This year, 600 packages containing staple foods were available and prioritized for retired employees, the communities around the school, and flood victims in the Crumpit area. Crumpit is a village which can suffer from flooding any time of the year, regardless of the seasons. The flooding situation limited movement within the surrounding area, including the “Bugisan Children” (homeless children who live under the bridge), who have been foster children of the SNDs since 2000. These are underprivileged children who lack necessary attention and love from their parents.
The mayor of Pekalongan, Mr. H.A. Afzan Arslan Djunaid, SE, and his staff attended this outreach service activity. Symbolically he gave packages to 3 Bugisan children. A happy smile graced the face of a girl representing her friends, thanking him for spending his time to greet and be friendly with them.
The mayor hoped that in the future there would always be good synergy between the Foundation and the Pekalongan City Government to help the society. “We should all be grateful for the good cooperation among parents, students, and the big family of the Santa Maria Foundation who has greeted and helped the society,” he said.
Our activities were broadcasted by a team of journalists from Batik TV, one of the TV stations in Pekalongan city. Through an interview with Batik TV, Sr. M. Eufrasia, as the President of the Santa Maria Foundation, said this activity took place annually every year before Christmas. This outreach event aims to sharpen the sensitivity and concern of the students with the surrounding area.
The people who received the packages felt very grateful for the kindness of the Sisters and students. One grandfather said: “I am happy to receive a package from the Sisters. Today I can enjoy the deliciousness of rice. A few days ago, I could not enjoy it because I didn’t have money to buy any rice.” Hopefully, the encounters experienced through this simple event will add to the partnership between the Sisters of Notre Dame, the government, the people of Pekalongan city, and the surrounding areas. Soli Deo.
by Dreamhost