Monday, June 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption for thousands of businesses and charities.
Life Education Queensland is no exception.
For the first time in our 34-year history, we had to temporarily suspend face-to-face delivery of our popular health, safety and wellbeing lessons in the mobile learning classrooms that visit hundreds of Queensland schools.
Thankfully, many of our educators are now back in schools around the state, doing what they love best: teaching in regular classrooms for now, and empowering children with the knowledge and skills they need to make safe and healthy choices.
Volunteering in the south-east
Natalie Nunan, Delphine Legros (Gailes Community House) and Jessica Caldwell.
With their normal teaching schedule disrupted in recent months, three of our educators did us proud, volunteering to help their local communities.
Life Education Ipswich educator Jess, and sexual health educator Natalie, helped Gailes Community House – collecting grocery items from relief organisation Foodbank Queensland to make food hampers.
The food boxes were distributed to families in need across Ipswich, Gailes and Camira.
Gailes Community House coordinator Delphine Legros said the support from Foodbank and Life Education was invaluable.
“With so many people losing their jobs because of the coronavirus restrictions, there’s a lot of hardship out there. We are seeing new faces each week. Families who wouldn’t normally need our help, are reaching out to put food on the table,” Ms Legros said.
Volunteering in the north
Donna Walker volunteering with Eat Up.
Meantime, in north Queensland, educator Donna stepped in to help not-for-profit Eat Up Australia. Driving their van hundreds of kilometres, Donna delivered breakfast products donated by Sanitarium Australia to 34 schools across Townsville, Charters Towers and the Burdekin. It meant they were stocked up with Weet-Bix, So Good Milk and UP & GOs, making sure kids in the region, don’t miss out on a healthy start to their day.
Eat Up founder Lyndon Galea summed it up: “Usually we meet demand by holding hands-on sandwich-making sessions. In the current conditions we can’t do that, so we’ve had to adapt and call upon extra help to ensure we can still support hungry school kids.
Thanks to Life Education we were able to fill our van four times over. Local community support is paramount at times like this, and we’re sincerely thankful.
Life Education Queensland CEO Michael Fawsitt said the educators had demonstrated amazing community spirit.
“Our team of educators has shown incredible versatility in recent months, and as a charity that’s focused on supporting children’s health and well-being, I’m so pleased we’re able to make a contribution to providing vital food relief during such a difficult time for many families.”
