St Joseph's Nudgee College

November 8, 2010

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St Joseph’s Nudgee College students and staff were shining examples of faith in action last week when they participated in Brisbane City Council’s Homeless Connect project.

The day began with nine Nudgee College students joining students from St Rita’s, fellow Edmund Rice schools and local businesses to cook breakfast for some of Brisbane’s homeless.

Year 12 students Julian Tonino, Eric Wang, Ryan Mothershaw, Max Ulvr-Green, Mitch Smith, Ben McLoughlin, Adrian Van Balen, Tom Van Kalken, and Michael Potts cooked breakfast elements like bacon, pancakes and scrambled eggs or served more healthy fruit and cereal.

Later in the day Brendan Harrington (Year 12), Anthony Vollert, Josh Rigg, Stephen Soon, Tom Hughes (all Year 11), and Tom Thurecht (Year 9) handed out 90 Street Swags and spent time talking with those in attendance.

Homeless Connect brings together business and community groups twice a year to give free services to the homeless, those at risk of homelessness and those without secure accommodation. Services available on the day include medical care, legal advice, accommodation referral, personal grooming items and clothes.

Brisbane City Council held Australia’s first Homeless Connect in November 2006. Since then the project has helped over 4,200 people and similar events are now held in Perth, Hobart, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

“Homeless Connect is an opportunity for our service programs the Big Brekky, Big Barbie and Street Swags to come together in an act of friendship and solidarity with people in Brisbane,” said Dean of Identity Mr Chris Ryan.

“The benefit of this great project relate to a hands-on experience for some of our young men in realising the issues facing too many local people in the Brisbane region.”

Nudgee College is no stranger to service and solidarity activities, serving breakfast and dinner each Tuesday of the year as part of the College’s voluntary Big Brekky and Big Barbie programs respectively.

The Big Brekky program sees Year 11 Nudgee College students and girls from St Rita’s provide breakfast and a friendly meeting place for people in Fortitude Valley while Year 10 students cook an evening meal and socialise with residents of a local caravan park, in partnership with Hope Community Care, as part of the Big Barbie.