Red Shield Appeal
Seeking volunteers
If students would like to volunteer for the Red Shield Appeal in Bendigo or Castlemaine on Sunday the 26th of May, there are still a few spaces available. Students are encouraged to check their emails for the registration link.
This week our School Captains were invited to speak at the launch of the 2019 Red Shield Appeal. A copy of our Captains speech is below.
Each year around 260 Senior School students spend a few hours door knocking in Bendigo and Castlemaine collecting donations for the Red Shield Appeal. We also have sixty parents volunteer as drivers to transport the students back to Headquarters to count the donations and enjoy the amazing morning tea the ladies prepare for us. Our Junior school students spend the month of May competing against each other to see which class can fill their red pig money box with the most money donating their lunch order change and pocket money. Last year they raised $346. The Girton Grammar School students collected $9,765. This put our collective total for 2018 just over $10,000. Every year we try to beat last year’s total so we are aiming for $10,500 this year.
According to a recent 2018 study, in East Bendigo alone, 14 people are living in ‘severely’ crowded dwellings, 26 are couch surfing, 92 are in crisis accommodation, 22 in boarding houses and 3 are sleeping rough. Therefore when you ask me what Red Shield appeal means for me, it means the ability to stop. To stop our crazy life’s, say no to going out for breakfast one weekend, to tell your friends you can’t go to Melbourne that weekend. Because sometimes in our crazy life we just need to stop and appreciate all that we have been given and sometimes we need to give back to those less fortunate than us. Bendigo is a fantastic city, but it is no place to live on the streets. That is why I, along with my fellow captains and over 250 Girton students, give up one morning of their year to make other people’s life just that little bit better, to make a difference, to make a change.
A few years ago, I remember driving home one day and saying to mum, that man he needs something. He has nothing. After driving a little further I go on to realise that there are people all over Bendigo suffering and unfortunately you alone can not help every vulnerable person, however, this didn’t stop me because I knew that maybe I could help that one man. I can make his day a little better. So I got home, I got a blanket, a pillow, a torch, wipes, and some fruit and went back to him. Sure, I was shaking inside, I was nervous but I knew that if every single person in Bendigo reached out to someone struggling or in a vulnerable situation the figures that were previously mentioned will eventually decrease.
Maybe to the man I had a short interaction with it gave him warmth and something in his tummy, but just maybe a few people around Bendigo saw me doing and realised that everyone, no matter how small the interaction, whether even just be a smile can change this world together.
So when someone asks me, what red shield appeal means, it means giving back to the community that has allowed me to become the person I am today.
The Red Shield Appeal is a massive cultural signifier for Girton, students have enjoyed this act of community involvement ever since I’ve been here at the school and it’s great seeing this culture continue through the younger year levels and the newcomers to Girton as so many of them voluntarily sign up to do the red shield appeal, as they follow the older and past students. The Salvation Army is such an incredible organisation, providing all Australians with hope and freedom, and give help to some of our most vulnerable Australians. and that’s why we at Girton love collecting donations for such a great cause. I think the general public love seeing us all collect as well and we meet some really lovely people who genuinely want to donate to support the Salvation Army. Every year we come back to Gravel Hill at the completion of the collection, and we’re always greeted by the most lovely staff and volunteers at the Salvation Army and I can see that everyone feels warmed welcomed, and we really love having a chat to you guys. So I hope this year’s Red Shield Appeal and the ones to come will be just as successful, if not more successful than previous years and I’m sure it will be.
Matilda Moore (12R), Toby Scott (12Je), Ella Fisher (12R), Frank Gibbs (12Jo)