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India Pilgrimage
EDMUND RICE OUTREACH
Mrs Marya Stewart
Edmund Rice Outreach existed mainly in name only this year, as senior students, particularly the Prefects, became more involved in many aspects of the work that the whole group normally manages such as fundraising for charities and organising events, so there wasn’t a need for us to meet as a group.
Specific activities like the Winter Sleepout, Red Cross Soup Patrol and Common Goal Soccer Program were the highlights of the year as well as involvement in street appeals, the Anzac Day Parade and training for the Edmund Rice camps.
WINTER SLEEPOUT
Over 70 students took part in the annual Winter Sleepout. The evening’s activities, which were designed to raise awareness and empathy for people who are homeless, were ably led by Year 12 students and supported by Mrs Candice Brown, Mrs Donna Landon, Mr Michael Murphy, Mr Clint Testa and Mrs Marya Stewart. It was a cold and uncomfortable night sleeping on cardboard in the school grounds but worth the effort to experience a little of what homeless people deal with every night. Over $2,000 was raised from the event, to support a homeless support centre in East Victoria Park.
RED CROSS SOUP PATROL
Staff and students continue to volunteer for the Red Cross Soup Patrol run each week of the school term. The van now stops in two places in Fremantle and two in Perth city, providing hot cups of soup with several pieces of bread, plus fruit and sweet treats when they are available. Most nights up to 30 people make use of the service and their cheery friendliness makes it a pleasure to serve them. Sometimes we chat with individuals a little longer and their life stories are often surprising because we realise that it doesn’t take much for life to spin out of control. Often people just don’t have the support they need at the time that they find themselves in difficult situations, yet most of them are trying to get back up and on with it.
This year, we continued our involvement in the Common Goal Soccer Program with Edmund Rice Mirrabooka. Two groups of Years 9 and 10 students travelled to Queens Park to play a game against the refugee youth who train at the ground near the Suliman Mosque and afterwards we had a barbecue with the team and their families and supporters and then a brief visit to the Mosque. A group of Year 11 students visited the Fragrant Gardens Reserve where they played soccer against refugee youth from the Mirrabooka area. We shared a meal cooked by the family and supporters. We were also invited to sit in on evening prayers at the Mosque and then was able to ask questions of the local Iman. It is such a privilege to be able to interact with young people from diverse cultures
and to learn about their religion as well as enjoying a hard fought soccer game.
ANZAC DAY PARADE
A small group of students rose very early on Anzac Day to help organise the march. Their job was to hold signs for sections or give directions to people who were taking part, so they would know where their group was gathering.
STREET APPEALS AND TRAINING FOR EDMUND RICE CAMPS
Several street appeals were supported by Trinity students in the year including Red Cross, St Vincent de Paul and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Student met in the city at 7.30am to collect money for the charity for an hour before school. Almost thirty students completed training for Edmund Rice camps and many of them have signed on to be leaders in the January camps over the summer holidays. Leadership throughout the year by Timothy Feasey (12.4), Alexander Galante (12.6), Dean LawYimWan (12.7) and Anthony Carbone (12.8) has been outstanding in both the example they have set, through their own involvement and their willingness to assist with organisation.
Mrs Marya Stewart
Directory of Christian Service
EDMUND RICE OUTREACH
BACK ROW: Samuel Keenan, Harrison Pell, Alexander Galante, Thomas Fry, Damon Ferrante, Jake Boska, Timothy Feasey MIDDLE ROW: Nicholas Radonjic, Reilly McClure, Anthony Carbone, Lachlan Howard, Ashwyn Menon, Jacob DelCasale, Joel Taylor FRONT ROW: Alexander Nguyen, Ben Kelly, Jack Clear, Ms Marya Stewart, Filipe Lagrenade, Damian Pisano, William Gilbert
