YEAR 11 boys from St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane, are brightening the lives of disabled children in special schools across the city.
They’ve been helping out on a weekly basis by taking kids for sport, assisting in their tuckshops, and fundraising to improve school facilities.
Last week a raffle was drawn at Mt Gravatt Special School, for which St Laurence’s had helped sell $800 worth of tickets.
And, it seems their visits to the schools have been mutually beneficial.
Lewis Edwards is among students who have learnt to see people for what’s on their inside.
“If you don’t understand something, like why someone is disabled, then you might fear it at first,” he said.
“But from helping out these kids we’ve realised they all have personalities underneath and that looks can be really deceiving.”
St Laurence’s dean of mission, Paul Towler, said he wanted the boys to work with disabled people because they have a marginalised position in society.
“They don’t have a high profile and people generally aren’t conscious of their needs and the support they should have,” he said.
He agreed St Laurence’s students had also benefited from the interaction – “it’s been the single most profound experience they’ve had all year, both educationally and pastorally.”
Mr Towler intends to make visiting disabled schools a tradition for Year 11 boys at St Laurence’s, and he also hopes to arrange elderly home visits for Year 12 students next year.
The aim is to build a strong culture of service and solidarity in the school, consistent with its Edmund Rice ethos.
