Service & Outreach 

Artwork: Ella, Year 8, Ridgeway Campus

Max, Year 12, Ridgeway Campus 

A few weeks ago, I took part in 300 Blankets, and it was definitely one of the more worthwhile things I've done this year. I, alongside a few other student volunteers, a teacher, and a member of the 300 Blankets team met at Flinders Street in the city, and from there we spent the next hour or two walking around Melbourne, handing out blankets, toiletries, clothes and other essentials to the homeless people we passed. 

I wasn't really sure what to expect going in, but as the night went on, it turned out to be pretty rewarding. Some people were keen to chat for a bit, while others just wanted the essentials before moving on, but everyone was grateful for whatever we could give them. It's easy to walk past people sleeping rough on your way through the city without really thinking about it, so actually stopping and talking to people, even for just a few minutes, gave me a different perspective on it. 

By the end of the night, it felt good knowing we'd made things easier for a handful of people, even in a small way, like giving them warm essentials on cold nights. If you do get the chance to be involved in something like this, I'd highly recommend it, because it doesn't take much out of your time, and you're really making a big difference to someone else. 

Xenia, Year 11, Ridgeway Campus

I feel very privileged to have been able to participate in the Big Group Hug program. Big Group Hug is a Victorian volunteer-driven children’s charity that provides material aid and essential goods to babies, children, and teenagers experiencing poverty, family violence, homelessness or crisis. The school takes a small group of students to one of their storage warehouses in Thomastown to aid in the packaging, sorting and cleaning of toys, clothes and other essential items. 

Throughout the night, we perfected the jobs we were working on; Vanessa and I were in charge of cleaning and re-organising recently donated toys. Some of the other jobs that were completed throughout the night were sorting through girls' and boys' clothing items, labelling and sorting a range of items and finally compiling all of the items into donation packages. Although this could have been a confronting experience for some, it was extremely rewarding and a great way for students to understand the realities and experiences of other people and to find out ways they can get involved and make a difference. I would highly recommend this program to all students.