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Beauty class supports homeless

Cire Community School’s beauty class has thrown its talents behind community organisation Stable One Yarra Ranges to help the homeless.

Beauty class supports homeless The class is also appealing to others to support its Stable One campaign through initiatives such as its GoFundMe page, and contributing new clothing and essential items.

Supporting Stable One came about due to COVID-19 restrictions when the class could no longer visit aged care facilities to provide manicures to the elderly who are at high risk as a result of the pandemic.

Lead teacher Megan Small said the class has truly stepped up and personally grown from the challenge, setting up the fundraising initiatives, and asking for donations of essential items and also canvassing businesses.

 “I have gorgeous outgoing women here that are ready to make a difference,” said Megan.

One student Karina said: “It feels good to know that we are all helping, especially for those in need in the Yarra Valley.”

The class has explained its initiative in the following article:

Our beauty class has selected a few ways to help raise money such as our GoFundMe page, and donations box in the front office at both Yarra Junction and Mt Evelyn campuses.

Beauty class supports homeless We are also encouraging essential item donations such as food, clothes, toiletries and miscellaneous items. All items donated will be given to those in need and any money raised will be used to fund larger items such as mountain bikes, games and puzzles.

Please don’t donate second-hand items because it is our mission to provide the homeless with the joy and experience of something as simple as taking the tags off their new possessions.

We have made it our priority to ensure all our proceeds go directly to Stable One and the people in need. This is a cause close to our hearts and those in the community; so your support and generosity in this time of need would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! – Cire Community School Beauty class

Hayley and Kailea set up the GoFundMe page, which has so far raised almost $400.

“It’s exciting when you check it and see the money has gone up. It’s nice to see,” Kailea said.

The young women said they were stirred into action after the class sat down together to learn about the Stable One success story of James, a man who had been living in his car in Chirnside Park.

“It gave us motivation because he’s a local to our area. Everyone goes to Chirnside Park, so we wanted to help give so that less people are in that situation,” Kailea said.

Stable One Yarra Ranges is a charity made up of several local churches, who assist the homeless community in the area with temporary supported accommodation. Over the past three years, they have supported more than 90 people in need.

Stable One founder Jenny Willetts said: “It’s not just about providing a roof. It’s about connecting people to the help they need, which will allow them to take steps forward.

“We’re all really learning about isolation at the moment when people who are homeless have always been feeling isolated.”

For more information about Stable One, visit their website. To contribute to Cire’s GoFundMe, click here.

 

Cire supports bushfire initiative with Wandin Rotary

Cire donated more than $700 to Wandin Rotary to directly support their initiative to aid those impacted by the devastating bushfires in the Corryong and Upper Murray region of northeast Victoria.

The money will help offset a $10,000 donation by Wandin Rotary to assist the Rotary Club of Corryong which is working tirelessly to help the local communities and individuals rebuild their lives.

Money raised by Rotary goes directly to those in need, without administration costs and other fees.

Whilst Cire staff contributed to appeals earlier in the year, the Rotary donation comprised of subsequent funds raised at a funky hair day by our Hubs and Children’s Services teams, which was then matched by Cire itself. The Wandin club’s pledge is from its major annual fundraisers including its Wandin Custom Car and Bike Show, the final night of which is on Wednesday evening 18 March.

“Cire is one of Wandin’s first organisational members and we are proud to be able to support the club in this way,” said Cire CEO, Gus Seremetis.

“Wandin Rotary is a small club but incredibly active in supporting the local community as well as reaching out to others in need.”

In commending Cire for its generous support, Wandin Rotary President, Dennis Hoehne, said the club chose to donate $10,000 to the Corryong Club so the funds would go directly to those most in need.

He said the Corryong Club had indicated that was most needed in the community was access to cash.

“Many people’s livelihoods have been taken away with little alternative income available. So far the Club has distributed $30,000 of its own funds to people who have either lost their homes or their properties have been severely damaged. The President of the Club lost his own home to the bushfires’’ Dennis said.

He said it was at times like these that the Wandin Club particularly valued organisational members like Cire who could help harness even more support through its staff and the communities it serves.

He said the club was always looking to expand its membership base so it could continue to provide and expand its work in strengthening local communities and helping those in need.

For further information about Wandin Rotary, please visit http://www.wandinrotary.org/

Thank you for supporting our Christmas Twilight Market!

The evening was certainly merry and bright at Cire’s first ever Christmas Twilight Market on Friday 6th December, hosted by the wonderful team at our Chirnside Park Community Hub.

When our staff raised the idea of a Christmas Twilight Market, we had absolutely no idea just how successful it would turn out to be! With over 60 stalls, food trucks and activities and hundreds of attendees, our event received overwhelming support from our local community and business-owners. From delicious donuts and wood-fire pizza to hand-poured candles and soaps, to pony-rides and face-painting we truly had something for everyone. We even had our lovely placement student, Linda, on hand to run a sustainable crafting workshop for children as well as a visit from Santa, travelling in style on the CFA fire-truck!

The sky was threateningly grey, and we spent plenty of time anxiously checking the Bureau of Meteorology’s website for updates, but thankfully the clouds parted and our outdoor stall-holders remained dry. Speaking of stall-holders, we would like to thank each and every business who supported our event and contributed to our giveaway hampers. You were all absolutely fantastic to work with and we hope to welcome you to Cire’s future markets and events!

The donut truck was a particular favourite of our staff- with some of us making several trips!- and several of us started our morning today with a slice of toast slathered in honey from Crafted by Bees. We saw many of our attendees with wood-fire pizza boxes or a snag from the Cire Sausage Sizzle in hand and the ponies would’ve had a good night’s sleep after ferrying our smallest visitors around our outdoor space. With guitar and vocals courtesy of another Cire placement student, Grant, the atmosphere was full of community spirit and joy.

Cire wish to thank our wonderful Hubs Team, particularly Jenelle Strachan and Sara Chehade, for their hard-work and effort bringing this Christmas Market to life. We couldn’t have pulled it together without the efforts of our dedicated placement students, who not only helped advertise and set-up the event, but assisted with running the event itself. Thank you to Coles Chirnside Park, for kindly donating goods for our sausage sizzle and to Chirnside Park CFA, for bringing Santa by to put some very big smiles on the faces of our local families.

Most importantly of all, thank you to each and every one of you who attended the market. Every dollar you spent directly benefits a local business and the proceeds from the Cire Sausage Sizzle will fund future community initiatives and events.

 

 

What’s next, you ask? Well, we’ll be taking off our Santa hats and donning pairs of bunny ears for our upcoming Easter Market in 2020! With stall-holder Expressions of Interest already rolling in, our team are busy planning. If you’re interested in signing up as a stall-holder, you’re welcome to give us a call on 1300 835 235 or email us at communityhubs@cire.org.au 

For more information, make sure to follow our Cire Hubs Facebook page. We hope to see you there for more stalls, food and activities with plenty of chocolate thrown in the mix…

Merry Christmas to you and yours from the team at Cire Services.

Team Snag – Cire’s offering to Bunnings patrons

It was a breezy and cold day in Lilydale as the sun was rising over the marquee but Team Snag arrived to service the local patrons at Bunnings Lilydale with offerings of hot sausages and fried onions in bread – with the obligatory tomato sauce and mustard. Who can resist the aroma of fried onions?

Team Snag consisted of a group of staff from all of Cire’s departments who volunteered their time to feed hungry Bunnings’ shoppers. What comradery, what cooking skills, what great conversation? Team Snag totally rocked at turning sausages and was quick to serve up delectable offerings; and of course wore their Cire aprons with panache and style!

The local community came throughout the day drawn in by that familiar smell; the invitation brought out conversation about our organisation and gave us opportunity to engage with the locals in a casual setting.  We also had a few visits from people who knew of Cire attending Bunnings and came down to support the cause.

The lunch period was full of hustle and bustle with people lined up to get a tasty offering, the staff from Bunnings also came to get their share; we even had a gentlemen pay in advance for a second sausage on his way out – what a great testimonial to Cire gastronomical skills.

The day continued to be very successful. It was very encouraging to see the people from Cire show their commitment and give up a precious day of their weekend to serve the community; only this time it was with delicious snags and drinks.

There were also the little helpers who came in support of their parents, to help liven up the kitchen and even thanking the customers for purchasing their sausage and hope they enjoyed them.  They helped to prepare the bread, hand out the orders and give the change.

“Even though it was cold, the sun was shining and the people were delighted to warm up with a delicious sausage.”  Cindy – Cire Training

“The sausages were really tasty and delicious but it was the aroma that brought us to the tent.”  Martha and Mick – customers.

We thank all who patronised the sausage tent and we enjoyed our contribution to the gastronomical experience.

The profit raised from Team Snag’s efforts will go to Cire’s services supporting the community. These services include Cire Training – which provides career pathways for all ages; Cire Children’s Services – qualified early childhood professionals caring for local children; Cire Community School – providing an alternative to mainstream secondary schooling and helping young people get back on track; and Cire In Home Care – supporting people to live independently.

Thank you Team Snag, thank you community.

See you again in November at Bunnings Lilydale to turn a mean snag…

 

 

 

 

VCAL Students raise funds for the Starlight Foundation

On Thursday the 27th of October, Cire Community School Personal Development Skills (PDS) Art Group and Upcycling Group joined forces to raise money and awareness for the Starlight Foundation. To do this, the two classes held a market stall out the front of the Art Room at the Yarra Junction Campus.

In general, the VCAL Personal Development Skills classes are designed to help students develop as a person. They learn about team skills, leadership and develop self-confidence and personal responsibility. Planning and managing projects in the community are a big focus of this unit. The skills that are developed in these classes are transferable to work and or further study.

“I really enjoyed participating in the Cire Community School market stall because it gave me a sense of marketing skills.” Robert – student

The students and teachers came up with the idea for their semester project to showcase the products they had made throughout the semester. They raised money for the Starlight Foundation and for much needed art supplies for the PDS Art Group. The Starlight Foundation’s mission is ‘to brighten the lives of seriously ill children and their families’ making them the charity of choice for this project.

“I feel good that we raised money for the starlight foundation.” Zoe – student

For the market stall, students in the Art Group made things like candle holders, painted canvases and also ceramic mushrooms, whilst the Upcycling Group made wheat packs, cushions and soft toys. As is the ethos of their class, the Upcycling Group made their products using old, recycled materials such as clothing and other consumables.

“I was very pleased with the work I made and sold for the stall.” Jesse – student

The students worked extremely hard to make their art and craft products, working together as a productive team, with all students contributing ideas to help make the best of their market stall project. A money tin with promotional materials was displayed at Cire Services Head Office in Yarra Junction which staff and members of the public generously donated to.

There were staff members and parents from Cire Children’s Centre that dropped by and bought products and also other people from the Cire community who showed support and purchased items from the market stall.

The project raised a total of $454.75, which is a great effort so well done to all involved. The total amount of money being donated to the Starlight Foundation is $284.75. The remaining money will be invested into much needed art equipment for future art classes.

The students of the Art and Upcycling groups would like to thank everyone that took the time out of their busy day to drop in, support the students and purchase some of their products.

If you would like to learn more about Cire Community School programs and educational services click here or call 1300 835 235.

Students raise funds for Breast Cancer Network of Australia

The intermediate class of Cire Community School set up a stall recently in the Yarra Junction shopping centre selling kindling. As a class, they were raising money for the Breast Cancer Network of Australia (BCNA), whose aim is to support people who are affected by breast cancer through their services, resources and programs. The intermediate class chose this charity because amongst the school community, breast cancer has had a big, ongoing impact that has been felt by staff and students. The students wanted to be able to give something back, in appreciation for what those affected have done for the local community.

“Over the past few months, we have had a few false starts, idea changes, motivational issues and other small hiccups, but we’re proud that we could ultimately band together to successfully complete the project.” Lachlan, VCAL student

From a wider perspective, this was a good way for the class to get a feel for the preparation and planning of an event. They had to plan the process of preparing the wood; of organising permission to set up their stall, and of getting permission to use the BCNA promotional material. The students also needed to consider the occupational health and safety aspects of the process. On the day, the intermediate class were split into three groups of 3-4 students. Each group had a one hour shift to interact with the local community and to try and gather up as many kind donations and kindling sales as they could. The students were also giving away free balloons to children as they walked past – which may have annoyed their parents, but that was not intended!

“It was great to be getting to know our local community.” Lachlan, VCAL student

The intermediate class was particularly satisfied with their efforts when a couple of local women came up and told several students about their own experiences with breast cancer, thanking the students for their commitment and recognising that they were part of something important. Sarah Le Page, the teacher of the students involved, was also very proud of what the students had managed to accomplish.

“Their project had a few revisions however, their end goal remained the same. They really wanted to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Network of Australia in recognition of the network’s important role in helping those in our community who have suffered from the effects of having breast cancer; or being a member of a family affected by breast cancer.” Sarah Le Page, VCAL Intermediate Teacher, Cire Community School

“It made my day to see the community being proud of us.” Steffany, VCAL student

The class project faced difficulty where they set up, inconveniently being in front of the community noticeboard. It was clear that this was not a good position to be in, as a number of people wanted to be able to read the noticeboard. The students were careful to pack up quickly after their three hour shift, so that the community could use the noticeboard again. This however did not dampen their spirit or enthusiasm, with one of the greatest highlights being the appreciation shown by members of the public for the students’ hard work.

“We thank all those in the school and wider community who helped us to make this project happen, particularly Tony  who also assisted us in preparing the kindling. We also appreciate the support of the staff at Cire Children’s Centre, for graciously taking one of our donation tins for a week, and actively encouraging the collection of additional donations.” Intermediate class at Cire Community School, Yarra Junction campus

The class did this as a team project with minimal help from staff. On the day they raised just over $200 for BCNA. The money raised comprised kindling sales and additional donations. The intermediate class are hoping to sell more kindling in the next few days to add to their total raised. They will be depositing all funds raised into the bank account of Breast Cancer Network of Australia once the project is complete.

Projects like these are designed to prepare VCAL students for the workforce. They start up a mini business and set goals to measure their success.  The businesses are social enterprises as they have a social purpose just like this one. They either have a direct social benefit to the community or they aim to raise money for charity.  These projects are supported by an EngageMe! Grant from the Victorian Government. Running the enterprises gives the students employability skills with a particular focus on initiative, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership and communication.

For further information on Cire Community School VCAL programs click here or call 1300 835 235

Help Little Feet Take Big Steps

Cire Services is launching a new approach to help support our community programs. Our first initiative is Gumboots Supported Playgroup.

Launching Tuesday 25th October, Cire Services will conduct fundraising and donation activities to contribute to the longevity of our community programs. Our new Support Cire page enables people and organisations to make financial donations and receive an invoice for tax purposes. Our first campaign supports the Gumboots Supported Playgroup. Cire campaigns will be developed to further enhance our educational and support services.

Gumboots Supported Playgroup is run by Cire Services in Yarra Junction and is a free, relaxed, quality playgroup where children learn through play. The program supports children’s development and learning; is facilitated by a qualified early childhood educator and helps improve educational outcomes for all children. This is achieved through the provision of high quality playgroups in the Upper Yarra region; where children experience a range of educational activities and parents are assisted to support their child’s learning.

Gumboots Supported Playgroup is solely supported and funded through the Upper Yarra Community Enterprise. This financial assistance is greatly appreciated and we seek ongoing donations to ensure the program grows and benefit more families. Gumboots rely heavily on donations to support playgroup programs for families with young children.

Your donation will help us maintain our services in the Upper Yarra region – our kids can’t thank you directly, but know you’ve made a big difference to little lives.

VCAL Students do great things

This year our VCAL students have been doing some really great things so we thought it is time to share the stories with the community


VCAL Biggest Morning Tea Biggest Morning Tea – Alice in Wonderland inspired Tea Party
Students at Cire Community School, Mount Evelyn campus, recently hosted a Biggest Morning Tea, Alice in Wonderland style to raise money in support of the Cancer Council. The event was held by the Personal Development Skills (PDS) cooking class. The PDS cooking group has students ranging from foundation through to senior VCAL level. The students have a great rapport with each other, working as a cohesive team and supporting each other’s work.

The Biggest Morning Tea project was undertaken to meet the requirements for the semester to create, organise and run an event. Over the semester, students in the group had weekly practical sessions making sweet and savoury finger foods in readiness for the event. They worked tirelessly to perfect their recipes in preparation for the event.

Food served on the day included lemon meringue pies, anzac biscuits, chocolate brownies, lemon slice, scones with jam and cream, flourless orange cakes, rocky road, fairy cupcakes, jam drops, chocolate balls, mini quiches, savoury sandwich fingers and sausage rolls.

There was fabulous encouragement shown to the students of the group with not only Mount Evelyn students attending, but students from the Yarra Junction campus joining with their peers, as well as families of the students participating in the event. The generosity of the students in supporting their peers was in itself a wonderful gesture. One student alone donated $30.00. Cire staff, past and present, joined in the event. Staff at head office didn’t miss out either, meetings had been planned for that day that could not be avoided, so the cooking group arranged for food to be delivered to Yarra Junction, which was met with great appreciation.

Money raised from the Biggest Morning Tea totalled over $400.00, well done everyone.

“I have absolute admiration for the students in the way they conducted themselves throughout this project. From the start of their cooking project through to the end, which was an absolute high, they showed focus and dedication. I am very proud of the efforts shown by Cire Community School students.”
Ian Seppings – Teacher/Leading Support Officer


Breakfast Club at Yarra Junction

The Australian Red Cross states that breakfast means ‘break the fast’, as the previous meal is typically 8–10 hours before waking up in the morning. Breakfast is important in re-fuelling the body with energy and nutrients, kick-starting the day. If breakfast is skipped, the result can leave a person feeling lethargic and tired and lead to difficulty concentration and behaviour difficulties in the school environment.

Students who have eaten breakfast can concentrate better and have a longer attention span, helping them to learn and study better. They can also perform better physically after eating breakfast as there is more energy available to their muscles. Breakfast can improve behaviour and mood, as children have better concentration and aren’t tired or hungry.

The benefits of the school breakfast program (for students who have not had breakfast at home) are:

  • Providing essential nutrition for our adolescents
  • Better health and learning outcomes
  • Socialisation
  • Increase participation and engagement at school

The breakfast club started in February 2016 and has taken off with most students helping themselves to breakfast, cleaning up their own dishes and getting to class on time.

Each Monday students are treated to freshly made pikelets. Traditional toppings of lemon and sugar or maple syrup are sampled. The other days of the week students are able to help themselves to cereal, toast, tea, coffee or fresh fruit.

“Its fantastic” – Zabian

“Convenient and a bright way to start the day” – Lochie

A big thank you to all involved in this beneficial initiative.


A visit to Coldstream Animal Aid (CAA)
Cire Animal Studies Project class from Mt. Evelyn campus went on an excursion to CAA last semester; to learn about how animal welfare in our community as a class can assist them.

The day was jam packed with valuable information on all the great things the CAA do for our four legged friends. Their main aim is to care and provide safety for animals that can no longer live at their homes or because their owners cannot provide for them anymore. Animal Aid runs an adoption program and arranges microchipping, registration and inoculations.

Money is raised from donations and government support, as well as from adoption fees, animal boarding and grooming. It is staffed by volunteers with a few permanent workers; and caters mostly for domestic animals such as cats and dogs, but also caters for small livestock such as goats and small pets like rabbits and occasionally ferrets. Volunteers work in the boarding, grooming, vet clinic, cattery and kennels, promotional events, opportunity shops and on grounds maintenance.

On the tour they saw kittens, cats, dogs, rabbits and goats. The students couldn’t help themselves from getting attached to some of the animals and wanted to take them home. The animals are really well cared for and have plenty of room, stimulation and a happy environment while they wait to be adopted.

Some great initiatives came out of the visit to help them with some of the materials needed for the animals such as toys and bedding. There is a great demand for bedding as the centre goes through quite a lot. The students are discussing collecting bedding for them (blankets, rugs, etc ), as well as making hammocks for the cattery (from second hand baby blankets).

Next term the students are hoping to spend more time with the animals, as they were told about a reading program that a school did with the dogs. Being in the shelter can be stressful for many of the dogs and they had kids come and read to them. It settles the dogs to have someone sitting close and being able to hear the soothing sound of a human voice. They came away with a lot of ideas about how to assist the shelter and build it into the project through next term.

Thanks to the team at the Coldstream Animal Aid for an informative visit that has inspired us to help out.


A trip to Yellingbo to learn about conservation

Helmeted HoneyeaterThe Animal Studies Project class at the Mt. Evelyn campus  have been a busy bunch. They went on a school excursion to the Yellingbo Conservation Reserve, which protects the critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeater, Victoria’s bird emblem. This species is endemic to the area and is only found in Victoria. The students have been learning about this endangered species from the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater and as a class they felt the need to contribute to their conservation efforts. First step was to go to the reserve to help revegetate new areas which can be used in the conservation program.

“The reserve was roughly a half an hour drive away from campus. The roads where mainly rural and narrow; twisting, turning, hilly roads that seemed to roll on forever, with either farms or bushland on either side. On the drive there you had the sensation of being far away from civilisation however your are only 25 minutes from Lilydale.”

Arriving at a large converted cattle shed on the reserve, hidden away in the trees. The students were greeted by a friendly bloke by the name of James Fraser who holds the position of Environmental Coordinator. James gave the class a quick tour of the grounds and facilities. The students were briefed about the animals and plants at the Conservation Reserve. After sitting through a quick OHS meeting the class walked down to a small clearing in a swampy area, which only had grasses growing and there they were informed of the task ahead – revegetation. The students willingly grabbed some tools to dig holes and plants to begin the planting.

The students planted 165 trees and shrubs that will grow to provide a suitable understorey habitat for the rare honeyeater birds.

After all the tree planting and pleasantries, the class was taken on a nature walk where they spotted the endangered yellow helmeted honeyeater bird. It was perched on a low hanging branch, only metres away. James told us the bird was a scout bird which had flown down to see whether or not there was a threat to the colony.

On the way back to campus the students stopped at the Yellingbo Reserve nursery, which is connected to the conservation site. There they saw all the plants being potted; the same plants that they planted earlier that day. Profits made from the nursery provide some of the funding for the conservation work.

A big thank you to the Yelling Conservation Reserve and James Fraser for hosting this important visit.


For further details on Cire Community School VCAL programs and educational services click here or call 1300 835 235

Community programs – getting students involved

Community programs are an important part of our Yarra Valley Community School’s (YVCS) curriculum. Students gain transferable skills that can help them in the future and also play a part of giving back to the community they live in. Last year the Senior and Intermediate students from YVCS polished up their entrepreneurial skills by creating and running several social enterprise projects. The students developed their own small businesses which they ran in the local community. Money was raised which was then donated to causes that they felt could use their support. These social enterprises included:

School canteen
Car wash ‘Oh my gosh it’s a car wash’
Making and selling beauty products
Growing garden seedlings for selling
Teaching basic computer skills to grade 6 Steiner School students
Providing a landscaping service that included mowing and gardening for elderly and disabled members of the community
Native animals mentoring project – students helped build boxes for the animals with boys from the Mt Evelyn Primary school

These businesses proved to be a great success with funds being raised to help orphans in Bali and a donation to Anchor to support young people dealing with homelessness. They also used some of the funds to pay for their own year 12 graduation dinner.

On Monday 22nd of February they had a visit from Heidi Tucker (CEO) and Lisa Stockheim from Anchor. The students were presented with a certificate of appreciation and a thank you letter for our donation. Lisa had a great discussion with the students about the causes of homelessness and the services that Anchor provides. They also asked how the students would like the money spent. By engaging with the students and having them take part in the decision making it was decided that the money would be spent on food. The students felt that food was the best choice as it would benefit the most number of people. Several of the students were quite disappointed that the funding around homelessness is so inadequate and said they wanted to help more in the future.

“What an inspiration these students are, most coming from disadvantaged backgrounds themselves and their main goal is to help others – we are very grateful for being a part of the 2015 program and look forward to 2016, keep up the great work” Heidi Tucker – CEO Anchor

“The students felt great about being able to help people in need and gained a lot of skills that they can add to their resumes and help them get employment.” Mark Hunt – YVCS Coordinator

“This is totally awesome being able to donate to these great causes.” Sean – VCAL student  (in image above)
The experiences gained through these community programs have helped the students prepare the projects for 2016. Due to the success of last year’s social enterprises some of the same projects will make a return along with some new ideas.

The Social Enterprise Project is supported by the Victorian Government.

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This isn’t the first time the students have raised money for people in need, check out what they did to raise funds for a Kenya orphanage last year.
YVCS Students making a difference
YVCS Students making a difference part 2

If you would like to know more about our youth education programs click here.

UYCH Continues their support for Nepal

Image of the Free Dress day fundraiser flyer

Last month we posted a blog article to raise funds for people of Nepal. The earthquakes have had a massive impact on the region and many organisations have come up with ways to help. UYCH has done just that by having a ‘Free Dress’ day for all staff and volunteers.

All UYCH sites got involved and even the students at the Yarra Valley Community School got in on the act. What started out as a ‘Free Dress’ day ended up for some as a ‘Wacky Dress’ day, as you can see from the image above. Teachers and students got really creative which had people talking about their outfits and more importantly building awareness about the need for donations and support. We asked participants what they liked most about the day and and what it meant to them, this what they had to say.

“Was great to be able to come to work in casual clothes and know that you’re raising money for a great cause too. It’s good to break up the office wear sometimes, and makes it more worthwhile when you’re contributing to helping others and donating money.” Amy, Corporate Services – Mt Evelyn

The kids really enjoyed seeing all us teachers dressed up. Plenty of laughs were had throughout the day and the money raised went to a people who really need it, overall it was a success and lets hope we have more.” Karen, Yarra Valley Community School – Yarra Junction campus

“We are happy to support such a worthwhile cause by raising money for the people of Nepal” Kat, Family and Children’s Centre – Mt Evelyn 

“Seeing everyone dressed up made my day”. Lachie, VCAL student – Yarra Valley Community School – Yarra Junction campus

“We really feel for the Nepalese people and anything we can do to help and contribute is great”. Toula, Family and Children’s Centre – Yarra Junction

In all we raised a total of $191.15 which will be donated the the Atticus Nepal Trust (ANT) which aims to provide ongoing support to the people of Nepal by purchasing medical equipment and health supplies. For further information on this fundraiser read our previous blog article ‘Help the people of Nepal‘ posted 19th May 2015.

A big thank you to all the people that made a donation and contributed to the success of the day. If you didn’t get a chance to donate you still can by clicking here.