Sausages were sizzling for the Soup Bus’s scholarship scheme on Thursday.
Phoenix P-12 Community College Phoenix Connect year nine students fired up the barbie to help pay education fees for Ballarat’s less fortunate children.
Representatives Rohan Delemontex and Shania Keegan said a recent Soup Bus visit prompted them to also appeal for non-perishable goods to be dropped at the school.
“It was a real eye-opener. We learnt about a really young girl with a baby and a 90 year old man who come to the Soup Bus,” Rohan said.
Rohan said he just wanted to help the homeless because they were “struggling so much”.
He said the Soup Bus scholarship scheme also helped “get people onto the right education path”.
Phoenix Connect teacher Belinda Dwyer said the students realised homelessness really was happening in Ballarat.
“They are compassionate and empathetic kids. And they’ve also realised they can make a difference,” Ms Dwyer said.
She said they were particularly shocked by the statistic that 80 per cent of students who don’t finish year nine end up homeless.
Phoenix Connect focuses on wider community issues, including biodiversity, asylum seekers and homelessness.
