Highgate cake sale raises hundreds in bid to ease ‘terrifying’ poverty of Haiti
The St Josephs Church youngsters with their cakes Picture: St Josheph's Church - Credit: Archant
Children from St Joseph’s Church in Highgate Hill have whisked up a charity frenzy, courtesy of their annual bake sale.
The St Josephs Church youngsters with their cakes Picture: St Josephs Church - Credit: Archant
The Passionist church’s event raised £653.97, with funds going to both the Cardinal Hume centre in Westminster and the Passionist Mission in Haiti.
Thirty-four young people on the church’s confirmation programme, aged between 13 and 15, raised the money on February 26 by making cakes.
Cheryl Juckes, organiser of the event, said: “We support the Cardinal Hume centre because they welcome any young homeless people and offer them a hostel and rehabilitation.”
The mother of two added: “They welcome people from any walk of life, they understand the plight of London’s homeless. Irrespective of religion, if someone’s in need, we’re there.”
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Parish priest Pat Fitzgerald agreed, adding: “Our involvement is an expression of our Christianity, reaching out to those who are less fortunate than we are and trying to make whatever difference we can.”
Stephen Currid, community fundraising officer at the Cardinal Hume Centre, said: “The long-term support of St Joseph’s has been a lifeline to so many people at the centre, not just because of the large cash donations but because of the Christmas gift donations – hundreds of underprivileged kids have had a magical Christmas.
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“Because we are a small charity, you can really see how every pound helps.”
The church has also raised a huge amount of money for the crisis in Haiti after the country was devastated by an earthquake in 2010.
Mrs Juckes, who lives in Highgate, continued: “We donate about four or five thousand pounds a year to the Passionist Mission in Haiti.”
The money goes directly to helping Father Rick Frechette, a Passionist priest who runs an orphanage and hospital in Haiti.
Mrs Juckes, who has been a parishioner of St Jospeh’s Church for 30 years, said: “The level of poverty there is terrifying. They need help so much, and it seems like people have forgotten about Haiti.”
Fr Fitzgerald added: “We came to be involved in Haiti because two members of our order are working there and the need is huge.”
He added: “The problems they are trying to alleviate are long-term. We have been raising money for them since the earthquake and we plan to go on supporting them as long as they need us.”