St. Pat’s readying for another Irish Miracle

Vanessa Borody calls Irish Miracle a labor of love.

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“It really is the most incredible day,” said the St. Patrick’s high school teacher, who helps organize the annual non-perishable goods collection in Sarnia.

The focus is helping people in need, supplying the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Sarnia food bank with items collected from doorsteps throughout the city, she said.

But it’s also an opportunity for youngsters to contribute to something bigger than themselves, she said.

“On Monday, they show up and it just feels different,” she said about the vibe after the Saturday collection from 9 am to noon. This year’s is Dec. 7.

People reminisce, share photos on social media, and bond over shared stories, she said.

And “when you make a bond with another student based on an experience where you are helping others, it’s just a different friendship,” said Borody, whose experience with Irish Miracle goes back to ninth grade.

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“That’s what I feel like when I get to be a part of it,” she said about those bonds forged.

“That’s the part for me that is the most amazing.”

Canvassing throughout the city takes about one-third of the 1,500-strong student body at the school, she said, noting there are 111 routes but some need updating.

Local elementary school children and parent volunteers also help out, with many at the school busy with other commitments such as hockey and wrestling tournaments, she said.

“One of our teachers does Irish Miracle every year with her friends with whom they did it together when they were in high school,” she said. “So, we have adults who come out from the community. It’s just so cool.”

St. Vincent de Paul officials have told her, Borody said, that the amount of food collected last year was on par or slightly more than the 7,000 plastic bags’ worth collected in 2022.

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Grocery stores used to donate plastic bags for the cause but don’t anymore, she said, and there’s no easy way to measure everything that comes in different sized bags, boxes, or loose.

Hopes are to get better estimates this year, the 41st, she said, but “we’re just really bad with tracking exactly how much comes in” without a consistent unit of measurement.

Donors are asked to put their donations in bags of any type on their porches for students to collect, she said, noting weather can make that tricky.

“If you have boxes of cereal out there in reusable bags, then they’re going to get wet,” she said. “But if you’re willing to put your stuff out on the front porch, that allows us to grab it really quick and hit more houses in that area, and then come back quicker and get them sorted.”

Anything that anyone can donate is appreciated, she said.

“We recognize how difficult it is to give with how expensive groceries are, and anything that you can give at all is just amazing.”

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