At the end of last term, students and staff participated in the annual Winter Appeal by donating canned meals, non-perishable food items and toiletries. All of the classes put in an amazing effort and the baskets were stacked high with items. The Year 7 students lined up all of the donated cans through the halls of the Mansfield building (pictured) before adding them to the collection. Thank you to all community members who participated. The donations were collected by members of St Patrick’s Lilydale (pictured in the gallery below) and will help to support those struggling in our local area.
A huge thank you also to everyone who participated in the recent Vinnies Winter Sleepout that was held on Thursday 17 June. Students and families in our College community participated in this virtual event, raising money for homeless people in Australia as well as getting a glimpse into the realities of what it would be like to be without a home. We set a target of raising $1000 but thanks to incredible generosity in our community we raised $2375.19. With over two million people living below the poverty line in Australia, including over half a million children, your donations allow the St Vincent de Paul Society to provide more than immediate help, it provides something much more valuable — the opportunity of a better life.
For the sleepout, I (Amelia) slept on the floor with a couple of blankets with my friend. We spent the time participating in the Liturgy, watching a movie and having a small serving of dinner. This experience enabled us to understand more clearly how individuals in our community struggle every night and helped us to have more empathy towards the disadvantaged. This is something we will carry with us in future years.
I (Stephanie) spent the sleepout with my family (pictured below). We ate a simple dinner of soup together. We then watched a movie before setting up our sleeping area — a couple of mattresses in the garage. After doing so, we played a few games like Uno before finally tuckering out and falling asleep for the night. Through this experience we were able to better understand the plight of those who are struggling and so develop more empathy. It was also good to be able to spend time together as a family, especially in the busy lives that we all live.
