Helping in the community When the Christian Service-Learning Program first began in 1997, the dream was to see a time when the whole College community had opportunities to be involved in volunteer service. To build this type of culture requires authentic service experiences, an enthusiasm to do more than what is required and a desire to participate in serving others which reflects gospel values and the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice. Director of Christian Service-Learning John Richards says such a time has been evolving for several years and we should celebrate that in addition to the many students who volunteer, there is a fast growing number of Old Boys, parents and staff who also volunteer for the many service options available. “We have staff on rosters as Red Cross Soup Patrol drivers, The Shopfront, supervising door knocks and street appeals, coordinating After-School Mentor Programs, Environment and Conservation work and immersion programs in the Kimberley and the Philippines,” Mr Richards says. He says there are also Old Boys driving during soup patrols and some who also still volunteer for Edmund 28 / the fish
Rice Camps and Lets go Surfing for the Disabled. “During the Easter weekend, the entire soup patrol program was run over four nights by Aquinas students, staff, parents or Old Boys!” “When a patrol ran out of soup halfway through the night on two occasions this year, the Aquinas team bought extra food for those who would have otherwise missed out. This ‘never say die’ attitude is a hallmark of the Aquinas College Service program.” “It happens locally with soup patrols and overseas - as we have seen in the Philippines when extra meals were needed for street children.” He says it has also been uplifting to see boys go with a parent on patrol or to an AFL game with Cerebral Palsy clients as well as to see Old Boys help with door knock supervision on a Sunday morning. Aquinas students are continuing to engage in Service-Learning opportunities in a number of ways – from helping young children learn, to fundraising to give others a better chance, spending time connecting with the elderly, feeding the homeless, accompanying those who are disabled and working with nature.
Students have been volunteering at a number of charity events this term including the Red Cross Door Knock Appeal, Salvation Army Street Appeal, Clean Up Australia Day and MND Walk to D’Feet. Senior boys also took part in the Anzac Day Parade with the Australian Red Cross as well as the Dawn Service at the City of South Perth. Mr Richards says students have made a positive start to the year and he has been inspired by the work they have been doing. “These boys are helping people in their communities in so many different ways, and at the same time, learning the benefits of volunteering – seeing the impact their time and help can have on someone else’s life,” Mr Richards says. A parent wrote to Mr Richards about her son’s recent experience as a buddy for a Cerebral Palsy client at the footy, saying; “All in all, I think he found himself appreciating the advantages of being an able-bodied young man. Thank you for making such an opportunity possible and I hope he can put himself forward to do it again.”