St. John’s Prep and Senior School came together on the 4th October at St. Mary’s Church, Potters Bar to celebrate the Harvest, thinking about those who are not as fortunate as we are by donating food and necessities. Well done to all those students who took part in The Harvest Assembly today. Thank you to all of the parents that donated food – your generosity is much appreciated.
What is the Harvest Festival?
In Britain, the Harvest Festival is usually celebrated near the end of September.
Some people sing songs, pray and sometimes go to church. Food is often collected in baskets to give to people in need.
Harvest in the Past
In the past, it was not as easy to find food in the winter. It was important that farmers brought the harvest in before the cold winter came so that there was enough food until the spring.
What does Harvest look like today?
Now, we import food from all around the world, so fruits and vegetables are available for us to buy at all times of the year. Harvests all around the world allow us to enjoy different foods at any time of year.
In September/October, we celebrate harvest when the farmers have collected all the food that has grown in the fields and gardens.
Why do we celebrate Harvest?
Harvest is celebrated to give thanks for the crops which have been safely and carefully harvested for our consumption. Christians thank God for the food during harvest because they believe that He made the world and everything in it. They also thank God for the variety of food and everything that helps the food to grow.
Sharing
Harvest is a time to think about people who are not as lucky as we are and who do not have enough food. During this time, the St. John’s Prep and Senior School community share provisions with those less fortunate than ourselves. As we have come to expect over the years, you were extremely generous in giving food and toiletries for this cause. This year, we passed on these items to the St. Albans Open Door charity, who were taken aback by the quantity of donations they received, welcoming them with open arms and complete surprise. They told us that the items will keep their communities in need well stocked for months.
Thank you for your harvest contributions on behalf of Open Door and us at St. John’s.
Why Open Door?
Open Door needs our help to support people who are homeless and need assistance to rebuild their lives in the community. Open Door is only able to run smoothly because of the time and dedication of volunteers who help in many practical ways.
This can include working as part of a team preparing lunch in one of their drop-ins or preparing and serving a dinner in the night shelter in their kitchen. Other volunteering roles include fundraising activities, collecting and sorting donated food and befriending people while they are staying at Open Door. Each evening, they provide hot meals for the residents who are staying overnight. Some of the volunteers run the Winter Beds Project, which provides extra overnight shelter places on the coldest nights of the year.
The Winter Beds Project provides people who would otherwise be rough sleeping with self-contained sleeper cabins. Each cabin provides secure accommodation with heating, electricity and en-suite facilities. Guests of the project are supported to find secure accommodation to move on to by the rough sleeper outreach team. Last year, the project ran from December through to the beginning of April and accommodated seventeen people, eleven of whom moved on to secure accommodation.
A warm and heartfelt thank you to the St. John’s School families who generously donated items during our harvest period.
