From the Chaplain

Recently, we had Tammy Rees from AnglicareSA join us at our weekly Year 3-6 church service. Tammy came to speak with us about the important work AnglicareSA does for homeless and vulnerable people in our community. She highlighted the great need that exists for those who live in poverty and discussed the significant contribution made by St Andrew’s School through the backpack appeal. Tammy explained to the students that many people find themselves homeless and struggling to make ends meet, and that sometimes they need to decide on whether to put food on the table or purchase medication as they don’t have the means to do both. Tammy shared with us a powerful poem written by a Year 3 student, Emma Feng, from Pymble Ladies College. The poem was a prize winner and was highly commended by judges Jackie French and John Foulcher, as part of the 2022 Pens Against Poverty Competition. The judges said it was a poem of “stark contrasts portrayed evocatively”.

From Rich to Poor
A house made of gold
A garden full of life
A child smart and proud
Who faces no strife
A giant black monster
Approached from the sky
We must flee!
We must flee!
Shouted a neighbour from nearby
We built our shacks
Out of cardboard and wrecked pieces
We had shelter
A shelter that carried diseases
A house made of cardboard
A garden full of dirt
A child starved and frightened
Who now only has a skirt
All she wanted was a brand new home
Somewhere where she could feel safe
And never alone
All she wanted was a home