Salvation Army Incursion/Toy and Food Drive

Salvation Army incursion

Every year our Year 11 VCAL class attend the Salvation Army Homelessness workshop in the City. The purpose of the program is to heighten the awareness and understanding of homelessness and poverty in Australia. This year the presentation platform was different (our presenter, Grace “zoomed” into our classroom) however the message was the same - homelessness and poverty create many challenges and hardships on those who are dispossessed.

Grace’s workshop mostly focused on the impact of Coronavirus on our society.

We learn't that:

There has been a 47% increase in the number of people seeking help from the Salvation Army.
Three in 10 people seeking food relief have never done so previously.
The Salvation Army Lighthouse café, has seen the demand for their food relief triple during Covid-19.
Almost 35% of food-insecure Australians do not know how they will cope or expect they will not cope at all when the additional Government support is withdrawn.
Young people are being hardest hit by the impact of Covid-19.
The Salvation Army has seen two new food-insecure groups emerging as a result of the pandemic namely, the international student and the casual worker.
Those Victorians who were struggling for food before Covid-19, are going hungry even more often now (38% are going a whole day a week without eating).

The statistics were confronting for our students. It exposed them to the fact that many people in our society are now living very challenging lives through no fault of their own. In light of this, our class decided to form a partnership with the Salvation Army to assist them in their Christmas Food and Toy Drive.

Our drive was very successful!!! The Rosehill community gathered generous donations that will bring hope and some Christmas cheer to those struggling this season. Lieutenant Erin Mains (of the Moonee Valley Salvation Army) extended her sincerest thanks to our school community for what we had accomplished in supporting the people of Moonee Valley. Erin was overwhelmed with tears when she arrived with her van last Thursday. She told our students that usually the KMART wishing Tree, is their biggest appeal for Christmas, but because of COVID it was not running as per usual. We were glad that our drive highlighted the need for empathy and compassion towards those less fortunate than ourselves.

Ms Vicki Handris

VCAL COORDINATOR