YEAR 10 students from Mt Alvernia College, Kedron, were among the first to brave the winter chill for a campaign in support of Brisbane’s homeless.
The day after the inaugural Brisbane Vinnies CEO Sleepout the students held their own Vinnies School Sleepover.
Mt Alvernia’s deputy principal for mission and outreach Alison Stone said that, as part of the exercise, the girls explored statistics and facts published by the St Vincent de Paul Society and other organisations about homelessness and its changing nature over recent years in Australia.
Year 10 student Gaby Johnson said the sleepover made her more appreciative of her own life.
“I really wasn’t aware of the facts or the increase in the number of families being assisted by homeless services. It really shocked me. It makes me appreciate what I have more,” she said.
Fellow student Yasmin Scott said the local St Vincent de Paul Society conference needed a lot of help from the school.
“We were told by our local St Vinnies that they are receiving at least two phone calls a day, seven days a week from families that are in desperate need,” she said.
“Some don’t have blankets and most need support with extra food just to get by so they really need a lot of support from us at Mt A.”
Mt Alvernia College Year 12 students who regularly serve on the Paddies Van were on hand on the night to give younger students some “real life” experiences and share personal reflections of their time with the homeless of Brisbane.
Year 12 Paddies Van volunteer Megan Schmidt said it was important to break down the stereotypical pictures that many people had of homeless people – “you know, the raggedy old guy who is all dirty and lying on the park bench”.
“That person is not what our experience has been when we are out there on the streets serving on a Paddies Van,” she said.
Mt Alvernia liturgy captain Molly Shields said many homeless patrons were keen to see the volunteers succeed in life.
“You know they are more interested in us. They really push us to do the best we can do and to get a good education,” she said.
Outreach captain Caitlin Garamy said that seeing the person behind the situation was critical to volunteering on the Paddies Van.
“We really love putting the Franciscan values of service and respect into action every night we go out on the van,” she said.
Mrs Stone said the Vinnies School Sleepover was not a “frivolous girls’ sleepover”. “Working with the local Little Flower (St Vincent de Paul Society) Conference the entire college got behind the Vinnies Winter Appeal by donating many hundreds of tins of food and tens of blankets for local families in need.”
