Our Lithuanian community plays an important role in our lives. We have to connect ourselves with communities and to model good citizenship. For example, every Sunday, families come to church to attend the mass and give donations to our charities. Our church was recently built, with a lot of money donated by the Lithuanian community to construct the building. The church includes a library, two halls and a kitchen to cater to our events and activities. Our church has an organist and three choirs; children, adults and seniors. After Sunday’s mass, people gather in the halls to meet, talk and share traditional food with their families or friends.
Many special events take place in our church in which nearly the entire community gathers, including Christmas mass, Mother’s Day, Children’s First Communion and the Lithuanian Independence Day.
Another event, which gathers a lot of people in the neighbourhood, including non-Lithuanians, is our Rummage Sale. Most church parishioners try to help in some way. For example, they bring all the unnecessary items from their homes including clothes, furniture, sport equipment, dishes, etc. Others choose to bake cakes or cookies, or to volunteer in preparing and selling furniture, books and other items. After the sale, the church collects the money to help maintain our charities, including the Lithuanian Language School. Some of the money is sent to Lithuania for the elderly, poor and orphans.
Our Lithuanian community also has different sports clubs for children and adults, and folk dance groups.
CCL&D has some similarities with the Lithuanian community. For example, we get together to discuss main ideas, focus on the important tasks to do and solve them in a group. That way, our group can get stronger and win success. We have a good Vision for CCL&D: to care about others, to help each other to attain goals, and to celebrate our achievements.
From Academic Upgrading Participant Estera