ST Augustine's School, Currumbin Waters, donated an amazing amount of food items for homeless people in the community in response to a growing need over Christmas.

Assistant Principal for Religious Education Diane Anderson said this year the school community received a message that over the Christmas period several of the wonderful agencies that provided meals for the homeless shut down and so there was a short period when no meals were available.

However one agency, “Lunch with Friends" has operated out of a park in Coolangatta for a number of years during the Christmas period.

A number of St Augustine's staff assist the group and the school rallied around their call for food items for Christmas.

Diane said each year level was asked to bring in items which could then be packed into parcels.

She said each parcel was gift wrapped and contained enough items for four to five meals.

“The recipients have access to hot water in the park but not much else, so items had to be long-life and easy to carry and consume," Diane said.

The donations were gathered over a four-week period and then, with the aid of the school's Social Justice Group, the gift packs were assembled and distributed.

Two St Augustine's School staff members, Karen Dick and Maree Burgess, who assisted Lunch with Friends, said the response when the packs were handed out was overwhelming.

“The packs provide a small amount of food but go a long way to let people know that someone cares and that children were being made aware of the need to give back to the community," they said.

Principal Warren Fields said he was pleased the school was able to reach out in such a practical way.

He said he was extremely proud of the contribution that school staff made to the local community.

“These staff take time out of their busy family lives to extend a hand of friendship and make a difference to the lives of the people doing it tough," he said.

Warren said the project would now become an annual event for St Augustine's.