Bottles of Hope
The Impact of Chaplaincy
How a School Chaplain's Initiative is Changing Lives and Lifting Spirits
"As a chaplain, a part of my role is to support the community that my school is based in. I recognized a need for families doing it tough financially, whether that be from particular impacting circumstances or from the rise in the cost of living expenses.
I had the idea to utilize the return and earn scheme in the school, taking the containers that are used each day in the school and gaining the money from them to be used to support our local families in need. Through a generous team at the school, we have been able to raise over $2000 through collecting used containers.
We have been able to support over 10 families with food vouchers and support for specialists. We have supported one of our families consistently through this project as the mom battles a reoccurrence of cancer and the father is out of work. We have been able to provide food hampers and vouchers to practically support them during this difficult time.
As a chaplain, I am also connecting regularly with the student at the school to support him, whilst also having regular contact with his parents to offer a listening ear and any other support I possibly can. It is a privilege as a chaplain to be invited into these difficult spaces to provide both practical and emotional support whilst consistently praying for healing for mum as she receives treatment."
