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Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Article by Alana Clark | 2023 Social Justice Captain
On Thursday 10th of August, 50 students and 7 staff participated in the ‘Saint Ignatius College Vinnies Winter Sleepout’ to support and raise awareness for homelessness in Australia. This was the first time since 2019 the College has been able to conduct the Sleepout in person. After lockdowns forced the session onto Zoom, it was with much enthusiasm that the Social Justice Team launched the program in person again.
The evening commenced with students gathering in the Xavier Centre for an acknowledgement of country, prayer and welcome. Students were then led by Youth Minister Amelia Waters in some icebreaker games. Immediately friendships began to form as students got to meet people from different classes and year levels.
We then heard powerful stories from two guest speakers from the Jesuit Social Services Just Voices Program. Agum shared her emotional story of moving to Australia and healing from family trauma. Sammy, who is now a successful rapper, shared his personal story and challenges of homelessness. We thank them both greatly for sharing their story with us.
Students from Years 7-10 spent the rest of the evening in small groups run by Year 11 and 12 leaders. The first session was an information session, run by Ms Doble and Youth Minister Jarryd Atkinson, about the key issues associated with homelessness, causes and support. This session also involved games and simulations, including ‘Cost of Living’ and ‘Spent’, which challenged students to survive on a wage under the poverty line.
The second session involved students cooking and packaging meals, including spaghetti balayage and spiced apple muffins, for local community members. The food was delivered the next morning to Lazarus Community Center and The Salvation Army North Side Geelong Community Center.
Students ate a simple dinner of soup and bread before setting up their cardboard and sleeping bags in the gym. The night ended with an Examen, giving students the opportunity to reflect on their experience and all they had heard throughout the night.
Overall, the experience was very rewarding and offered an opportunity to express solidarity for those facing homelessness. Homelessness is an ongoing issue around us that we are all vulnerable to. But homelessness is temporary. Throughout the Winter Sleepout, we all learned that there is a lot of help needed, but there is also a lot of help we are each capable of giving.
A huge thank you to all staff and students who participated and helped out on the night.
Alana Clark
2023 Social Justice Captain
Feature
Events
Our News // 25 August 2023
Article by Alana Clark | 2023 Social Justice Captain
On Thursday 10th of August, 50 students and 7 staff participated in the ‘Saint Ignatius College Vinnies Winter Sleepout’ to support and raise awareness for homelessness in Australia. This was the first time since 2019 the College has been able to conduct the Sleepout in person. After lockdowns forced the session onto Zoom, it was with much enthusiasm that the Social Justice Team launched the program in person again.
The evening commenced with students gathering in the Xavier Centre for an acknowledgement of country, prayer and welcome. Students were then led by Youth Minister Amelia Waters in some icebreaker games. Immediately friendships began to form as students got to meet people from different classes and year levels.
We then heard powerful stories from two guest speakers from the Jesuit Social Services Just Voices Program. Agum shared her emotional story of moving to Australia and healing from family trauma. Sammy, who is now a successful rapper, shared his personal story and challenges of homelessness. We thank them both greatly for sharing their story with us.
Students from Years 7-10 spent the rest of the evening in small groups run by Year 11 and 12 leaders. The first session was an information session, run by Ms Doble and Youth Minister Jarryd Atkinson, about the key issues associated with homelessness, causes and support. This session also involved games and simulations, including ‘Cost of Living’ and ‘Spent’, which challenged students to survive on a wage under the poverty line.
The second session involved students cooking and packaging meals, including spaghetti balayage and spiced apple muffins, for local community members. The food was delivered the next morning to Lazarus Community Center and The Salvation Army North Side Geelong Community Center.
Students ate a simple dinner of soup and bread before setting up their cardboard and sleeping bags in the gym. The night ended with an Examen, giving students the opportunity to reflect on their experience and all they had heard throughout the night.
Overall, the experience was very rewarding and offered an opportunity to express solidarity for those facing homelessness. Homelessness is an ongoing issue around us that we are all vulnerable to. But homelessness is temporary. Throughout the Winter Sleepout, we all learned that there is a lot of help needed, but there is also a lot of help we are each capable of giving.
A huge thank you to all staff and students who participated and helped out on the night.
Alana Clark
2023 Social Justice Captain
