Non Nobis Solum: How one St Hilda’s School student is living the school’s motto
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“Since COVID-19 hit I have seen a lot more people living on the Gold Coast streets. I have also heard and read many stories of people losing their jobs. This made me feel very devastated and I knew that my family and I must try to help in any way we could,” says Year 6 St Hilda’s School student Gabrielle Aloysius, as she shares about a very special partnership she has forged between her school, her local church and business
My name is Gabrielle Aloysius from St Hilda’s School. The motto of our school is Non Nobis Solum which means “Not for ourselves alone”. My brothers Herschel and Daniel are at The Southport School (TSS).
From a young age my brothers and I have had a heart for those with less. We have learned the importance of helping those in our community and learnt to try and help directly wherever possible.
Since COVID-19 hit I have seen a lot more people living on the Gold Coast streets. I have also heard and read many stories of people losing their jobs. This made me feel very devastated and I knew that my family and I must try to help in any way we could because it’s our moral responsibility to help the most vulnerable members of our community. Even if a person does not feel that strong morally about this issue, people know deep down that it is the right thing to do.
My father is the CEO of dnata Catering, which is a large airline catering company, and its frozen food company, SnapFresh. They, too, have been hit very hard by the pandemic, but were looking for ways to help people on the Gold Coast. I immediately thought of St John’s Crisis Centre. St Hilda’s School and TSS have been supporting St John’s Crisis Centre for a long time. I was inspired by the donated vegetable collection that is conducted each Wednesday and Thursday in the St Hilda’s Junior School. I wanted to make sure the help my family and I could give would go directly to those in need. This was exactly what SnapFresh and dnata catering were looking for. Without the focus at St Hilda’s Junior School, SnapFresh would not have known about the St John’s Crisis Centre.
The initiative at school helped inspire SnapFresh and my family to donate 400 delicious meals to St John’s Crisis Centre in May. My brothers and I helped to deliver and unload the trucks. We also learned about what the centre gives to people in need. I helped pack some of the lunches and I was pleased to be giving my time to directly help others. During the school holidays my family and I continued to hear of people in need so we arranged another 400 meals to be delivered to St John’s Crisis Centre in June and made a commitment for the amazing team at SnapFresh to keep donating 400 meals per month.
“I think young people always look for ways of how they can help make a better world for all. It is important for all to remember that members of our community who are doing it tough on our streets are people just like us and it makes you feel good when you help others in need” (Year 6 St Hilda’s School student Gabrielle Aloysius)
I feel very blessed that my family and I are able to help others. I think young people always look for ways of how they can help make a better world for all. It is important for all to remember that members of our community who are doing it tough on our streets are people just like us and it makes you feel good when you help others in need. The kindness you spread around always comes back to you; it is a chance to make a difference to the Gold Coast community, to the world and to a life.
Let’s all get involved by finding ways to partner with our local churches, charities and businesses so everyone can help someone else have a brighter future by living the values of Non Nobis Solum.
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