A big thank you to our students, parents and staff who volunteered at the Mary Mags Dinners on the weekend.
Mary Mags Dinners is a Saturday evening meal service accessed by people in need. Located in the city, the Mary Mags Dinner is an opportunity for people to come together over a three-course meal.
On Friday 8 August, students and volunteer staff and parents spent the afternoon cooking meals in preparation to feed 80 – 100 people the following evening.
The Saturday 9 August was the main event. From 4.30pm to 7.30pm we took over the kitchen heating and plating up the meals and then passed the plates over the counter to our students on the floor who handed them out to the clients.
Here are some quotes from our volunteers:
“I would recommend this to others because it not only fosters a deep sense of community and compassion but also provides a meaningful way to make a huge difference in the lives of those in need.” – Ryan Liu, Year 11
“I really enjoyed the whole experience. Seeing our boys and staff / parents adapt so quickly and connect with exactly why they were doing this was wonderful. The biggest challenge was switching my brain off from thinking where all of the clients would be going to sleep that night. It is still with me.” – Mr David de Lacy, Head of MacDermott House
“I felt grateful for the opportunity and more appreciative of the things I often take for granted in daily life.” – Hugo Browne, Year 11
“I was very impressed with how well the boys all worked in what was a fast paced and hot kitchen! They all did their maximum to make sure that the clients were satisfied with their meals, and were all extremely polite and obliging. They should all be very proud of how they conducted themselves.” – parent volunteer Lucy Croser
“I learnt that a person’s circumstances are never a proper reflection of their character – there were some exceptionally nice and well-mannered individuals present.” – Aadi Mittal, School Captain
“I really enjoyed working with others to prepare and serve meals at Mary Mags Dinners, and it was inspiring to see how a small act of service could make such a positive difference in someone’s evening.” – Harry Zhang, Year 11
A big thank you to the following parent and staff volunteers: Mrs Bianca Harms, Toula Tsmandanis, Mr David de Lacy, Lucy Croser and Meegan Addison. And thank you to the St Peter’s College Mission Guild for funding this service opportunity for the students.
Thank you to all the boys who assisted with the cooking of food at School on Friday, and to those who assisted at Mary Mags serving food on Saturday night.
Ashleigh Day
Service Learning Coordinator
