Making it count twice
The Chaplaincy Team at Victoria University are making it count twice. University is a time where there's so much pressure on students to perform. It's also easy to feel a sense of lack; that they are confronted with these huge problems of the world in their courses, but don't have enough time or money to contribute, or don't know how.
The year started with hundreds of students visiting the chaplaincy team for pancakes during O Week but things suddenly ground to a halt as Omicron swept through the student community. Alongside the Covid surge, the cost of living is hitting students hard. The chaplaincy team have responded to the need by providing $2 toastie lunches on Thursdays and Fridays on top of the regular tea and coffee available every day. They have also opened an amazing pop-up op shop where every item is $2. But that’s not all, the proceeds from the sales are going to Tonga to help fund their recovery. “We're so excited to see how reminding students that even while they study, they can make choices that offer back to the world around them,” says Rev Jessie Black. “Through partnering with Anglican Missions and Common Good coffee, and by offering food and drinks for a really affordable price, we hope we instead speak of the abundance of God's kingdom to these students.”
This has been thought provoking for some students who are wondering why it’s all so cheap and struggle to understand why someone would do something without making a profit – even though they are enjoying the benefits. “Over the last few weeks, we've had more and more new faces come into our space, most don't know Jesus or come from a faith background. We hope that by experiencing hospitality and seeing ways to make choices that contribute good, rather than just consume, they also get to encounter the story of Jesus,” says Jessie.
