Students at St Joseph’s Primary School in Numurkah are delivering Meals on Wheels and warm smiles to senior members of their community.
Every second week, Learning Support Officers Sam Carnie and Karlene Bethel accompany a small group of Year-6 students to collect meals from the local hospital and deliver them to elderly residents in Numurkah.
Sam Carnie said the students have responded enthusiastically to the program. “They know they’re bringing joy to those who need it most, and they seem to enjoy the responsibility,” she said. “Once they’ve done it, they want to do it again and some are even keen to volunteer with their families.”
The initiative is part of one of the school’s Resilience Projects, which follows the GEM principles: gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness. Sam explained: “We’re grateful that we can help others; and in doing so, we help ourselves because we feel good about it; we’re grateful we don’t need to rely on such a service; and we’re grateful it exists in our community.”
The school also encourages students to have a brief conversation with the seniors during their visits, though not everyone is eager to chat. “Some people are happy for us to simply drop off the meal and go,” Sam said. “Others want a chat and we make sure the kids understand that we may be the only people they see that day. Some might ask us to check their mailbox or bring in their bins. And if something doesn’t seem right, I have a contact number to call in case someone needs extra support.”
In Numurkah, these students are living the Gospel through small acts of empathy and care. They are hearing the cry of the poor – in all its forms – right in their own neighbourhood.
