Give a little food. Give a little blood. Give a little soap. Give a little stationery. Give a little compassion.

As part of our service initiatives throughout the year, opportunities regularly arise for the Saint Kentigern community to donate to those less fortunate or  in need. Foodbanks are a long-established part of our College-wide service programme as the Houses compete to bring in the largest collection of non-perishable goods for the Northern Presbyterian Support Centre to restock their shelves.

As well as College-wide ventures, other groups also commit to their own chosen cause. Last year, Mrs Xanthe Noble’s Year 13 class graduated after five years of entering into the spirit of the SPCA Muffin Day and collecting much needed toiletries and sanitary items for new mothers of little means at Middlemore Hospital. The baton has now been passed to a new Year 9 tutor group.

Current Year 13 tutor group, 13RFE4 has been collecting stationery for the past five years to turn into packs for two local primary schools. Each year, Riverhills and Glen Innes Primary School indicate how many of their children are unable to afford stationery for the year. Based on these figures, our students collate well in excess of 100 packs each year containing exercise books, a pen, pencil, coloured pencils and erasers for distribution to these schools. Donations for the packs come from our own students as well as from local stationery suppliers. The schools are always most appreciative of our efforts.

Service is an integral part of a Saint Kentigern education, encouraging empathetic and generous citizens. The opportunity to be involved in service is invaluable; the students learn commitment and effort, and come to acquire an understanding and awareness of the role of community service in our society.  Through this engagement, our students gain an appreciation of their own lives in the context of others; they realise that they can make a positive difference in the community, they experience satisfaction from helping others, and they develop character and increase their own self-esteem.  We hope that by offering service opportunities at each year level that this awareness and call to action will continue throughout their lives.

Dates to note:
Foodbank           24 March
Bloodbank          16 June

Tolietries
To help prepare Health Packs for Middlemore Hospital, the girls encourage you to collect mini-soaps and shampoos from your travels. These along with wool for knitting booties will be gratefully received.

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