Macquarie Community College's purpose of creating and providing affordable and inclusive learning opportunities is based on 5 important values – Collaboration, Commitment, Diversity, Integrity and Respect.
Following on two previous blogs about our newly updated Values (respect and collaboration), this post is about a great demonstration of commitment here at the College recently. We have defined 'Commitment' as dedicating our actions and resources to our greater purpose.
Mutual commitment to serving the community
Macquarie Community College staff and locals joined together last week in a project with Soldier On volunteers, committed to serving each other and the community.
Soldier On is an organisation that works side by side with contemporary veterans of the Australian Defence Forces and other services. They offer a range of holistic and integrated services for individuals and families focused on three key areas: social activities, employment and education, and psychological support. They are fully independent and supported by corporate sponsorships, philanthropy, donations and volunteering without government funding.
Initiatives are aimed at strengthening resilience and develop meaningful connections with family members, mates, and the local community through a diverse range of health and wellbeing services, employment opportunities, learning and education programs, and participation in community, social, and sporting activities.
Serving On
One of their initiatives is a volunteering program called Serving On – targeting members to get engaged in local community projects with local community organisations that use the skills and talents of their members. The benefits of volunteering are many to the volunteers and the organisations they volunteer for are multi-dimensional.
MCC was thrilled to engage the Soldier On team with a project in Western Sydney this month.
Working together side by side
MCC’s CEO Theresa Collignon and Soldier On’s Programs Officer Joe Kielniacz have identified some hands-on projects for the Serving On volunteers at the Carlingford campus of MCC as a way to engage some of their skilled volunteers in a meaningful project – and to help the College out with some repairs and maintenance work.
As Mark Twain pointed out in Tom Sawyer the work of painting a fence can be a powerful and engaging task that helps build community and friendships.
On a crisp, blue-sky winter’s day in Carlingford we all enjoyed being out there, doing something active and skilful that got a result – a freshly mended, sanded and painted front picket fence that freshens up the College’s presentation in the community. Of course you can’t paint a fence without a sausage sandwich lunch so that was also part of the day’s activities!
Thanks to Joe, Lachlan, Shane, Joel, Louisa, Collin, Anna, Ben and Svitlana from Soldier On who worked side by side with MCC’s Russell and Mario on the Marsden Road picket fence.
Commitment to an outcome, commitment to community and commitment to working together were all there on the day. We look forward to more projects together. If you have an interesting project and/or would like more information about Soldier On, visit https://soldieron.org.au/
Macquarie Community College looks forward to working side by side with more individuals and like-minded organisations as part of its commitment to meeting the neds of individuals, employers and communities.
Read more about Macquarie Community College and our focus on the community: