The Magazine of St Aloysius' College • 'Men for Others' • Issue XLVII ...

from the senior school (cont'd)
current drug addicts. With this comes its associated stigma;
they’ve been labelled as junkies, derelicts and ‘no hopers’.
However, shared by all of them is a sense of humanity and
community. This is something that affects every volunteer
and from which they can learn much.
One story I will share occurred on a Thursday in February
when I sat with a twenty-four year old young women called
Bec. Whilst our discussion began with a debate on the
advantages of six spoons of instant coffee rather than two, it
moved to how her life had led her to this point. At her young
age she already had five children, the eldest of whom was
nine. Three of her children had been taken away from her
and put into foster care within three weeks of their births
and were all now in another state. Her other two children
had been killed in a car accident involving the children’s
father, now in prison. Despite no home, no education, and
no job, her smile never left her face as she sat holding
hands with her best friend who is also homeless and also
pregnant. Bec told me that she had kept her good friend
clean throughout the pregnancy, that was her true job, and
that they were going to raise the child together in community
housing which was due to be approved in a matter of
weeks. Together they had done all the research and had
taken all the right steps to ensure that no-one could take this
child away from them. There was no way Bec was going
to let her friend go through what she had.
Every single person who stops in and sees us for a
bed has a story just like Bec’s. They are all struggling and
whilst happy to accept our help, they would do anything
for each other within their own segregated community. They
know that the unconditional help and care of a true friend
makes them luckier than any other person. It is a remarkable
lesson to learn and puts into perspective the importance of
any material wealth. It makes you wonder whether we all
must leave the comforts of life to know what being human
is really all about.
This May we will be expanding the Nugacity mission
to include Sunday nights. With the help of the St Aloysius’
College St Vincent de Paul Society, we will be able to
offer a bed for the night and a friendly face to talk to for
Sydney’s homeless. Students will be given the opportunity to
accompany our experienced volunteers for the early shift to
assist with setting up the sleeping quarters and welcoming
the guest for the evening with a cup of coffee and cheese
on toast. We would also love to hear from any Old Boys
or anyone else desiring to get involved with Nugacity.
Volunteers are always a God send.
Whilst Nugacity provides the hands-on help, all of it
would be in vain without the support of the community.
We are always short of bedding and mattresses as we
move into winter, but it always seems that when our need is
greatest that the community miraculously delivers. If readers
have any old pillows, pillow cases, sheets or blankets that
would otherwise end up in the bin, please think of those in
need. Whilst a blanket may not seem much, it is enough to
save a life on a cold winter night on Sydney’s streets. We
would welcome any help you can offer. Donations can be
left at College Reception or delivered to St Canices’ Parish
Office.
James Harrison (SAC 2003)
Under the Bridge: One night
on The Philippines Immersion,
December 2007
Movement is not something to expect from Manila
traffic. What was originally planned to be a
two and a half hour trip turned into a seven hour
marathon. The slums outside our window did not shock us
like they used to, we had been in the Philippines for almost
a month now. The eleven or so crammed in the back of the
van with Mr El-Khoury did not stare out the window with the
hypnotized amazement of our first days in Manila. But still
some things challenged us. The first place we visited was a
street corner, and people poured out of nowhere to get the
food and toys. Three of us had to stand by the door to form
a human wall preventing kids sneaking in and taking more
food. The desperation was disturbing. Four kids in front of
us broke into a fight over a pair of jeans, won in the end by
a ten-year-old puffing on a filterless cigarette. The line grew
out along the concrete as people realized what we were
there to do. As we left, some of the children jumped on the
back of the van to try and get more. They held on as long
as they could as we sat in the van, speechless.
That silence was broken by the next discovery. In
another lane a group of boys, much younger than us by
the looks of them, were sneaking behind a blue car and,
to our amazement, one boy climbed under it and began
to unscrew the spare tyre attached to the bottom of the car.
When the truck began to move my heart skipped a beat,
as the boy rolled out and climbed to safety. Mr El-Khoury
explained to us that many of the boys were addicted to
rugby, a local glue that is sniffed by those in poverty to dull
Year 11s on the road with Old Boy Jack O’Donaghue (SAC 2007)
(above right).
St Aloysius’ College
A Jesuit School for Boys _ Founded 1879
aloysiad / page 20