Grant grows student outreach

Avondale using money to establish new community programs

The re-allocation of a grant from an international humanitarian organisation is helping more students at Avondale support more people in the community this year.

Almost $8000 in surplus funding from a community service project staff members and students supported in Cabramatta, Sydney, about 10 years ago has been re-allocated by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia for student-led outreach.

ADRA Australia chief executive officer Mark Webster says the re-allocation recognises “the enthusiasm and the commitment of the students in reaching out to people in need in the community around the college.”

Student Associated Ministries leader Anna Beaden and Lake Macquarie campus chaplain Dr Wayne French are using the money, which vice-president (finance, infrastructure and risk) Paul Hattingh found late last year, to bring all of Avondale’s outreach programs, projects and services together under the collective LAMP (Let’s Actually Meet People).

“No one has brought all the outreach at Avondale together in such a way before,” says Beaden. “I really promoted LAMP during the first week of semester and people got interested and involved.” Adds French: “This collaboration is the grant’s immediate legacy.”

LAMP brings together 12 programs, projects and services, eight of which are being funded by the re-allocation. Three of the eight exist because of the re-allocation.

The new plan for using the money is more effective, says Mark, because it “involves a broader group of students and supports communities closer to Avondale.”

Beaden and French have budgeted more than $5000 for this year leaving close to $2500 for next year. Despite the expectation of yearlong funding, Beaden and the LAMP leaders plan to “make it sustainable.”

Choosing to give attention and time to others in need blesses everyone, says Webster. “I hope this grant will allow the students to do more than they’d originally hoped and that lives will be changed as a result.”

Avondale student-led outreach funded by ADRA Australia

Pick-A-Street—gardening, house cleaning and general service in the local community

Girls Crankt—mentoring for disadvantaged teens

Scripture—teaching Bible classes in local public schools

Drama ministry—portraying truths, the nature of God and Christianity through acting

Production ministry—portraying truths, the nature of God and Christianity through film

Rahab—counselling, mentoring, prayer and teaching English to sex workers in Newcastle

Flipped—cooking for and serving of pancakes to school students who cannot afford breakfast

Bonnells Bay Food Parcels—packaging of food parcels to those in need in the local community