By Hugh Pearson
Father Bob Maguire visited Purton Place Preloved Shop in Pakenham on Thursday 24 November to collect toys and donations for his foundation.
The donations included toys such as teddy bears and bicycles and sleeping bags and jewellery.
“We’ve seen the plight of Father Bob over the last few months and how his food pantry has tripled with the amount of people coming through,” Purton Place Preloved Shop co-owner Angel Chichi said.
“With having to disperse Christmas presents this year to over 500 – to maybe 1000 – families, we thought why not support the Father Bob Foundation.”
Donations were collected by the shop that sits on Purton Road and are worth $30,000.
“We’re quite blessed that people know what we do here as far as helping families that suffer from domestic violence and trauma that we do get corporate donations,” Ms Chichi said.
“We’ve been collecting all year with the goal of providing it to the Father Bob Foundation.”
Father Bob said it was great to see those with compassion helping others in their time of need.
“It’s one thing to sound as though you’re compassionate, but it’s another thing to do it,” Father Bob said.
“Don’t just talk about it, but do it.”
For Father Bob, a lot of what he does is about paying it forward.
Father Bob often refers to what he calls his “five Cs” when he serves the community – something he’s done for decades.
His five Cs are care, communication, concern, common sense and compassion.
“We’ve got to try and build a compassionate neighbourhood instead of being in a society where people are looking for the edge for themselves,” Father Bob said.
“Community is where people run around looking for the edge to share with others, especially the socially excluded, otherwise known as the poor.”
Along with clothes, toys and other items for his foundation, Father Bob is also asking for donations of money which will be put towards his pantries.
Father Bob has two pantries, one in South Melbourne and one in Broadmeadows which support up to 600 families a week in buying groceries.
