Most Trinity students are familiar with a way of life that is comfortable, safe, and secure. So when an opportunity came up to raise money for charity by sleeping out on the School grounds the Year 9 students at Trinity were interested to get an insight into the experiences of the homeless population.
Of course, the novelty of camping out with their mates did take a while to wear off. One boy was seen returning from the school gates with a bag of lollies dropped off by Uber Eats.
A few borrowed mats from the Old Gym to make their stay on a hard surface more bearable. Another purloined his mate’s shoes to ward off the cold in his sleeping bag. One dreamt of his family’s normal Saturday night roast dinner as he made himself a chicken, cheese, and salad sandwich in the school kitchen, replicating the meals Trinity students prepare for the Vinnie’s charity night vans every week.
When Maths teacher and organiser Mrs Cathy Yarad noticed some of the boys weren’t making sandwiches she encouraged them to do so, only to be told by one: “I’m not hungry right now; I might come in later.”
“I had to say no, you’re homeless; the kitchen is closed later. It doesn’t work that way.”
The 35 boys, accompanied by four staff members, raised more than $1,000 for Dignity, a charity providing crisis accommodation for victims of domestic violence, as part of their community service co-curricular.
They listened intently as Dignity founder and CEO Suzanne Hopman shared the real stories of over 122,000 Australians who are homeless every night.
Student Kayler McDonald said the experience had made him more thankful, glad, and appreciative.
“I’m just lucky that I have a place to stay. A lot of the time it’s not really their fault; it’s just the situation they’re in. They are human; they should be treated like a real person. Don’t treat them like they’re not there. Sometimes it’s bad choices but other times it could be a series of bad events.”
Year 8 and 9 students perform regular community service either assisting with primary sports on weekends, writing life stories for residents of a nearby nursing home, or raising money to fight Batten’s neurological disease. Older students knit blankets for charities and make sandwiches for Vinnies.
“I hope this makes them realise how lucky they are,” Mrs Yarad said.
“We often find that the students who make sandwiches for Vinnies have no idea who the sandwiches are going to. If you are cold and hungry you need to eat something, and I hope this makes them understand the importance of nourishment.
“It took a while for the reality to sink in that they were doing something some kids were faced with for real.”
To learn more about Co-curricular opportunities at Trinity Grammar School, visit https://www.trinity.nsw.edu.au/
