Parents and students at Swan Christian College in the Swan Valley have filled boxes and crates full of donations for the elderly and vulnerable who have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis in and beyond the school community.
The college’s parent committee reached out to the school community, asking for donation of non-perishable items to be distributed to people who are living in isolation or cannot get what they need from the shops.
In response to the call, the school community donated bags filled with items such as toilet paper, non-perishable food and hygiene products.
Swan Christian College Principal Adrian Scott said the idea for the outreach came about when a teacher of the school went to buy cereal for his three little daughters and realised that that was easier said than done.
The teacher, who preferred not to be named, said he felt a sudden rush of panic come over him as he was looking at the empty shelves in the cereal aisle. Anxiety, he said, was not something that he experienced frequently and almost took him off guard.
When working through his own response to the situation, he considered how the community could bounce back and thrive through these hard times by supporting each other.
“If we were on the front foot by looking after the people within our community and the people our community interacts with, then we could be winning. We could be making some proverbial lemonade,” he said.
Mr Adrian Scott said this outreach project presented an opportunity to express gratitude and build a servant heart in the students at Swan Christian College.
“Expressing gratitude is an important part of service and is also important in ensuring the well-being of each student. This is an opportunity to practise service in an authentic project,” Mr Scott said.
“It gives us an opportunity to live our Christian values of spirituality, integrity and respect; while drawing together students, parents and staff to work together as a community,” he added.
“I hope we will grow closer together and grow our sense of community and purpose through this project.”
“I believe that, in times where we feel a strong need to be contributing and improving the quality of life for those less fortunate around us, serving in and beyond our community will benefit us all.”
Members of the school community can reach out to the parent committee if they are in isolation, are unwell or simply cannot get what they need from the shops; or if they are aware of a neighbour or community member in need. The parent committee and several parent volunteers are currently sorting through the donations and will ensure that are distributed equitably and fairly to those in need.