SuniTAFE VCAL students have gained many personal development skills by fundraising throughout the year to support people in the local community in need. 
As a project for students across all three VCAL levels, they persevered between lockdowns to hold bake sales, plant stalls, Mother’s Day Raffle and a Shake and Dog Lunch.
Raising a total of just over $1,200, students were able to purchase toys, games, gardening gloves, bike helmets and books to support 4 local organisations:

• Mallee Family Care - Christmas Toy Appeal

• Sunassist - Christmas gifts for the volunteers and young people

• East End Community House - bike helmets and gardening gloves plus making and donating outdoor mosaic tables

• Mildura Base Public Hospital Paediatric Ward -  creating care packs for sick children which included a book and a comfort toy.

The most successful fundraiser was partnering with Mildura Rural City Council (MRCC) Compostable Kitchen Caddy liner bag deliveries to local residents, donating $2 for every bag delivered.
The council was very supportive and understanding of the students and an exception was made to participate in the program as all profits were ploughed back into their community. 

They were also extremely understanding when the project had to be postponed three times due to COVID.
This project was linked to Personal Development Skills 2. Students researched the importance of composting and became aware of the amount of food wasted and the issues of organic waste going into landfill. They became mindful of methane gases and its toxicity and the critical situation MRCC was facing with landfills unable to keep up with waste demand and the bigger global issues our rubbish is causing.
The ability to donate to four worthy organisations provided a huge sense of satisfaction to all the VCAL students and enabled the year to finish on a positive note.