TLC Group A little TLC goes a long way At any given point throughout the year in the kitchens of Trinity families, an extra tray of roast veggies or a spare batch of cookies is being whipped up and set aside. These additional meals and sweet treats are made with love for those in the community who might be in need of a little extra ‘TLC’. The TLC Community Support Group or 'TLC Group' was established in May 2020 as a subcommittee of the Trinity Parents’ Association. Led by Co-Convenors Alice Noonan and Angela Gill, it is a collective of parent volunteers who cook meals and snacks to be stored and distributed by the school’s Community Engagement team to those in the Trinity community who might be going through a challenging time. Members of the Trinity community also donate funds for items such as meal delivery vouchers, supermarket gift cards and hampers. Essentially, if a parent or staff member is aware of a family which might be dealing with a tough diagnosis, the loss of a loved one or an otherwise generally difficult time, they can reach out to the Community Engagement team to discreetly send some Trinity love their way. ‘At the end of the day, we are so grateful for the opportunity to contribute in a positive way to the community around us,’ Alice and Angela said. ‘The support provided by the volunteers is simply amazing, and their homecooked goodies are always prepared with such thought
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TLC volunteer Desiree Sutrisno (left) and her cooking assistant, aka her Dad
and care. Their willingness to help and generosity is truly humbling, and without them this service to the school community couldn’t be provided.’ The group continues the long history of members of the Trinity community providing support for each other in many and varied ways. Since the initiative began, a dad
who perfected the art of baking sourdough during lockdowns has provided loaves of bread, a mum who works for a publishing company has provided a selection of children’s books, and another Trinity parent who owns a honey farm in Tasmania has kindly donated boxes of honey. There was also a donation of vouchers to a local takeaway store and discounts for beautifully curated hampers at a local greengrocer. During the two-week mandatory isolation period that students, parents, staff and families went through in July 2021, the TLC Group also facilitated support for families to shift from home-cooked meals to gift cards, vouchers, hampers and online deliveries. ‘We all go through ups and downs in life and need a little help sometimes. Problem is, we’re not that good at