CHAPLAIN'S CORNER

Hi Everyone,

We’ve all experienced it before: that tingle of happiness that floods your mind when you give something to someone else. Indeed, research shows people who are keen to do good are more likely to rate themselves as happy. This is the power of reaching out – it benefits both giver and receiver. And the good news is you don’t have to do anything drastic. Simple actions like buying a friend coffee, baking biscuits for your colleagues or volunteering for a short period of time are enough to get those feel-good vibes flowing.

WITH THE JOY OF GIVING, WE RECEIVE MUCH MORE IN RETURN – including a sense of joy, connectedness in having a sense of purpose as  part of the community, longevity in being active in body, mind and spirit, a sense of making a difference, reduced loneliness and depression as we focus on others, to name a few!  AGE IS NO BARRIER, YOUNG OR OLDER!  I know a 90 year old and an 80 year old who volunteer in their local school’s Breakfast Club several times each term – giving to their community and receiving so much more in their lives.

Recently Jo sent out a Compass post regarding a great initiative – CareNet’s REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR! Instead of receiving a small token (eg chocolate) from an Advent Calendar on the countdown to Christmas, you fill a hamper (box or bag) by placing a food item in it each day on the count down to Christmas.  These can be returned to the school office for distribution to needy families throughout Warrandyte and surrounding communities.

What a great way to involve the whole family in selecting food items and teaching our children/young people the joy of giving. Jo, in the school office, is happy for you to speak with her if you have any queries.   You can also learn more about CareNet at https://www.carenet.org.au/

So, in a world in which we hear of much hurt and sadness, LET CHANGE BEGIN WITH US AND ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF GIVING,  SO THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE INCREASED SELF-WORTH AND JOY!

Robyn Mulholland

                                                                     (School Chaplain)

Tuesdays

robyn.muholland@education.vic.gov.au

PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT THESE PARENTING SESSIONS WHICH I HOPE WILL HELP YOU TO NAVIGATE THE IMPORTANT AND OFTEN DIFFICULT TASK OF PARENTING IN OUR SOCIETY.  SOME ARE FREE AND VIA ZOOM,OTHERS HAVE A SMALL FEE. THERE IS ALSO A GROUP FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.