Many teenage girls dream of getting a car for their sweet 16th birthday.
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But not this generous soul.
She chose to forgo her own gifts and instead turned her 16th birthday party into a fundraiser to help less-privileged Bendigo residents this Christmas.
Helena Noonan-Barros, who lived in Bendigo as a child but now lives in Toorak, Melbourne, brought a truckload of presents to give to St Vincent de Paul to distribute to families in need.
Instead of presents, she asked her attendees to make a donation. Thanks to her 380 party guests, she raised $2400 to spend on gifts.
“I was quite a privileged child, but my mum always aware of that and made us understand we were extremely lucky to have what we have,” she said.
“I have a big birthday party every year and people bring you presents you don't usually need, so this year I asked for a donation at the door.”
Helena said she had made her focus on purchasing more teenage-appropriate gifts – like backpacks, shoes and perfumes – as charities often receive gifts for younger girls and boys.
“They don't get a lot of teen donations, so I wanted to make a teen's Christmas a good one,” she said.
She spent the whole October holidays planning the party, and also contacted some corporate businesses to see if they would pitch in.
The gifts will be distributed to local 70 families.
“We help families of all religions, cultures and backgrounds but use Sacred Heart Cathedral and St Liborius as avenues to reach the families that need just a little extra help around this time of year,” she said.
Helena was given name tags with the age and gender of each child and she then picks out a gift she hopes they will like.
“I first took on the project because some of the older ladies didn’t understand that you like a barbie at age six, but you like bratz dolls when you’re eight or nine,” she said.
It’s the first time Helena has transformed her birthday into gifts for someone else, but not the first time she has spread joy at Christmas.
When she was just 12, she organised a toy drive at her school, encouraging classmates to find a toy they no longer used or one that simply didn’t suit them, but might suit another child.
Helena said her family and principal were supportive of her philosophy: “to get out in the world and make a change where you see injustice”.
