Community Service _____________________________Page

Providing service to the community is a touchstone of all Edmund Rice Schools; participating in community service is fundamental to living out of the value of compassion – one of the College’s three key tenets. The spirit of Edmund Rice has been thriving throughout 2015, with Joey’s boys learning and developing through active participation in a wide range of activities that have met the various needs of the wider community. The Year 7 and 8 students have been leading the charge on the service front in 2015! They have overseen the breakfast program for the year – cooking and serving breakfast to students at Christ the King, St Francis Xavier and St Thomas Aquinas – ensuring the primary students are ready to learn with a full tummy! 50 of the boys also put their hands up for the Winter Sleep Out, an event run to raise awareness of homelessness and much needed funds for people in the Geelong region. They, along with 20 senior students, managed to fundraise over $3000 to be used in our local community. Year 7 students also coordinated a casual dress day, raising over $1300 for Samaritan House, a local facility providing accommodation to homeless men that St Joseph’s staff volunteer at two nights each month. The Year 8s promoted and organised the TouCan Appeal for the Geelong Food Relief Centre and the Vinnie’s Winter Appeal to collect warm clothing and blankets for the local community, with so much being donated that they had to come back with a bigger truck to collect it all! At the senior end of the school, our VCE students have continued the legacy of Edmund Rice. They have helped save lives with their fortnightly blood donations, spearheaded the Refugee Holiday Programs, worked in op shops and crewed the Geelong Outreach Van every Sunday night. A special mention must be given to the group of students who have volunteered their time, every Monday afternoon, to the Refugee Tutoring Program. These dedicated young men embody the spirit of the service learning program and are exemplary role models. In addition to the continuation of the service learning program that now sees Year 7, 8 and VCE students completing compulsory hours, Year 9 and 10 students have been involved with school based community service within their Religious Education classes. The Year 9s helped out in various primary schools around the region: organising and running games and sporting events, as well as being reading buddies to younger students. The Year 10s visited residents of aged care facilities, trying their hand at bingo and trivia, cards and carpet bowls, as well as reading and conversing with residents. All students represented the College admirably and their efforts were certainly appreciated by the children and residents! A special thank you must be given to the generous staff of St Joseph’s, without whom many of these programs simply couldn’t operate. From driving students for the breakfast program three mornings a week, subbing in for refugee tutoring, rolling up their sleeves to give blood…the list goes on and on. When we expect our students to rise to and accept the challenge of giving back to the community, it is heartening that so many staff are prepared to lead by example and your support is truly appreciated.

Zoe Marshall - Service Learning Coordinator

The reason I, along with many others, volunteer for the refugee holiday program is simple: the kids enjoy the day so much that we can’t help but enjoy it ourselves. No one can know what’s going on in their private lives, but for this one day they can forget about everything and give in to their enthusiasm and excitement. The smile plastered across their faces means we have achieved our goal.

Daniel Rabbat - Year 11

At the Winter Sleep Out we participated in a range of activities, heard from a guest speaker, ‘dined’ on a cup of soup and a bread roll before we ‘slept rough’ for the night.

Thomas Bucki-Smith - Year 8

I do refugee tutoring because it makes a difference in the lives of the children we work with. It brings great satisfaction knowing I’m teaching essential skills to those that want them the most.

Adam Karpinski - Year 11

Volunteering on the Geelong Outreach Van is definitely confronting. The van gives a real world perspective that just can’t be learned in a classroom.

Thomas Walker - Year 12 Year 10 Aged Care visits Footy Boots collection Footy Boots collection

Winter sleepout Breakfast program

Refugee tutoring Gardening – Year 11 Activities Week Gardening – Year 11 Activities Week