“None of us have gone untouched by the events of the past year. We had goals, things we wanted to achieve, but we have had to adapt and make the most of this situation. We know how lucky we are. We just want to give back to help others thrive”.
The past year has looked remarkably different for the students at Parade College. Like most teenage boys in Victoria, they have spent much of the year learning from home, with little to no social interaction, and key school milestones missed. But as Lachlan Pike, a year 11 student explains, “we need to use our determination and drive to help kids our age who have even greater challenges in their lives. We want to send a message that they are not alone”.
For the past two years, Parade College, a Catholic boys’ school in Bundoora, has been supporting MacKillop as their charity partner. Linked by Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers philosophy, the students were inspired by the work of MacKillop and have been undertaking fundraising events to support the Paws4Kids campaign and Foster Care Crisis Appeal.
Kylie Kuppe, Director of Ministry has been supporting the students with their fundraising goals. She said, “helping others with challenges greater than their own gave my students a new perspective. Resilience means you fall, but you get up and keep going. MacKillop helps people keep going with love, compassion and care.”