I received this short article which I reproduce in full. We have two great Chaplains in our church and their work is invaluable. Hopefully this article will help reinforce the message of “Save Our Chaplains”.
Friend,
Last year, countless thousands of friends like you helped ‘Save Our Chaplains’ after the High Court ruled the existing model of Federal funding was obsolete. Because of your voice, politicians on both sides resolved to find a new way to fund this great program – and they did!
Today, I want you to know why we saved our chaplains.
Can you imagine what it’s like for a 6-year old to watch their home disappear under a torrent of water? To see their toys, their clothes, their bedroom and their books buried in mud and sludge? When the floodwaters rose in Rockhampton, Maryborough, Ipswich, Gympie, the Lockyer Valley and – even more devastatingly – in Bundaberg, that horrible thought became a reality for thousands of Queensland families.
A huge number of aid organisations and community groups have pitched in for those families most affected, and of course we’ve done what we can to help, with a $50,000 relief package aimed at providing books, school supplies, shoes and uniforms to children who lost everything at the start of the school year. So far we have been able to help hundreds of families send their children back to school with the essentials they need.
But the greatest strength of school chaplaincy is found in the long road to recovery. Chappies are connected to their community. They know the needs because they experience them right alongside the families they serve. I am so grateful that, thanks to you, many of these young people will have a caring, compassionate person in their school who they can trust, who can listen to their fears and their heartaches and let them know they are not alone.
In fact, right now we’re looking for ways to increase the number of days we can employ chaplains in each of those flood-affected schools. It’s so important that families’ material needs are met, as well as offering a chance for children to be heard and supported. I’m grateful that so many schools have welcomed a chaplain into their community.
That is why we saved our chaplains. That is why your support matters, and why you can be proud of what we achieved together. We saved our chaplains for a purpose – to be a source of compassion and strength to children, their families, and their community when they need it the most.
Thank you!
Peter James
CEO, SU QLD