VCAL students at MacKillop’s specialist school in Geelong have discovered the joy of giving by donating gifts to people in need this Christmas.
The students organised and wrapped 25 gifts and donated them to the Bellarine Living and Learning Centre (BLLC), a community hub which hosts social activities and provides food relief for those going through a tough time. The gifts, which will be handed out on Christmas day, include toiletries and a handwritten Christmas card.
The students were inspired to provide the Christmas gifts after volunteering their time at a pop-up soup kitchen at BLLC earlier this year, where they served toasties and hot drinks. The soup kitchen formed part of their VCAL Work Related Skills and Personal Development learning outcomes and enabled the students to expand their skills in hospitality, food preparation and customer service.
Hannah Studd, VCAL Careers and Traineeship Coordinator, says that the students gained a lot more out of the program than just hospitality skills, “It’s about giving back and learning the joy that you receive when you give and help others”. She admires all the students for their incredible growth in confidence and maturity during the project.
Sarah* is one student who has shown enormous growth throughout her experience with BLLC. Despite her history of overwhelming anxiety, Sarah worked with her teachers and peers to identify what makes her uncomfortable and has learned new strategies to cope.
Her confidence has grown so much during this experience that she spoke on behalf of all the VCAL students when presenting the gifts to the Centre. “It was an amazing experience to be able to give back to our community. I was a bit scared when I first went in there, but I soon relaxed and it was great to know that our gifts were going to families in need this Christmas,” said Sarah.
VCAL coordinator, Denise Walker, credits the program with connecting the students as a group. “At the beginning of the year, the class was fragmented and had some tensions. But working together to help people has given the students a shared passion,” Denise reflects. “The best learning has been around collaboration, teamwork and creating respectful relationships in a workplace.”
Denise is very proud of the students, who come from diverse backgrounds and are so passionate about giving back. For some of the students, whose families have used the food relief centre themselves, this program provides an opportunity to give back and complete the cycle of giving.
The award winning, student-run café, which trains students to get their level 1 or 2 barista certificate, is funded through support from the Geelong Community Foundation, Dimmick Charitable Trust and Catholic Education Melbourne.
*Name changed to protect privacy