SOME of Brisbane’s homeless people may live a little easier for the next few months, thanks to a fresh idea from St Elizabeth’s Primary School, Tarragindi.
It has donated more than 300 “Basics Bags” – sealable plastic bags containing hygiene products – to local social justice group Micah Project Inc, which distributes goods to the poor.
Principal Karen McIntosh was behind this innovative move, inspired to make a difference after recently working with West End’s needy and being “shocked” by what she saw.
Ms McIntosh encouraged her students to bring in simple, everyday products over a three-week period, and the response was “overwhelming.”
“We had soap and toothpaste coming out of our ears,” she said.
Their efforts couldn’t have been more timely according to Micah Project Inc housing and community liaison officer Helen Styles.
“We received some stock around Easter time,” she said. “But our levels were low again and in desperate need of a boost.
“And, these ‘Basics Bags’ are just fantastic. We’ll be handing them out to people left, right and centre.
“We were really looking forward to picking them up from St Elizabeth’s and we can’t thank the school enough.”
St Elizabeth’s Year 7 student Averyl Mitchell said she was surprised at how many items were collected in only a few weeks, and that she had learned a valuable lesson about homelessness.
“Making the bags taught us to have compassion for the homeless because they are human just like we are.”
