Fundraising for new life in Sydney suffers teething problems
By Bridget Spinks
A CATHOLIC outreach centre for pregnant teens in Sydney’s western suburbs is struggling to stand on its own two feet after being launched just over a month ago.
Volunteers at St Margaret Mary’s parish in Merrylands held another barbeque on Easter Sunday to fundraise for Project Morning Star, opened by Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Julian Porteous on 28 February.
It was the third parish-based barbeque this year to raise money for Project Morning Star, a resource information centre and moral support outreach for girls under 20 who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant, single mothers or who have aborted a child.
Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Julian Porteous, who consecrated the project to its patroness, Our Lady of Sorrows, on 15 September last year, said the project is “an important witness to the commitment of the Church to assist young women who become pregnant and want to keep their child”.
The centre will serve as a resource and teaching centre where essential ‘parenting skills’ and ‘life skills’ programmes will take place.
“Often the young women find that there is little support for them. They can lack family support and can be isolated. This experience can force them to choose to have an abortion,” the prelate said.
“With works like Project Morning Star, the Church is showing how it is prepared to assist young women in their time of particular need.”
Anna Tramonte, group coordinator of St Margaret Mary’s parish Merrylands’ youth and apostolic groups for nine years, has been the driving force behind ‘Project Morning Star’ for the past two and a half years, assisted by up to 21 volunteers. Mrs Tramonte was motivated to help pregnant girls when she heard about a 17 year old girl who had been forced out of home and to have an abortion against her will, and also met separately a 20 year old man who had pushed his girlfriend to have an abortion and was later having difficulty coping with the decision.
“Being involved with young people, seeing them involved in situations [where they are] totally lost,” is her inspiration, Mrs Tramonte told The Record, adding that young people who need security and support, especially if they can’t find it at home, are the ones she wants to help.
Through the project, Mrs Tramonte hopes to reach young girls before they turn 20 as “there are too many kids out there who are out of control because they haven’t had that role model”.
“The reason why I’ve decided on young people is because they’re vulnerable; [and] we can mould them,” she said. “These kids are our future, we need to try and mould them if we can.”
Though Project Morning Star has been launched, the house in Fairfield is not yet functional as a resource information centre, nor able to run any classes for the girls.
Chairs, two beds, a washing machine and a fridge have all been donated, but other furnishings like tables and extra chairs are still needed.
The money that has been raised from the barbeques and other donations has only been enough to cover bills, but is not enough money to buy food or toiletries for the girls.
Despite these obstacles, Mrs Tramonte believes the project will succeed, and has planned classes for the girls to learn essential life skills from cooking and cleaning to budget management, social etiquette and parenting.
Donations can be sent to St Margaret Mary’s Church, 5 Chetwynd Road, Merrylands 2160.