News - ACE Community Colleges donate pamper packs to campuses
Northern Inland campuses showered with love and support from ACE Community Colleges
A few weeks ago, Community College Northern Inland Executive Officer, Alison Heagney completed delivery of pre-Christmas pamper packs to each of the organisation’s seven college campuses. The care packages were donated in an act of kindness by ACE Community Colleges and their Lismore and Burleigh Waters campuses.Each pack had been carefully prepared by hand — crammed with sweets, treats and essentials for both campus staff and students, including notebooks and pens to help students get the most out of their learning experience during tough times. More than 100 packs were delivered by ACE Community Colleges Operations Manager Erin Hutchinson who made the journey from Lismore to the Community College Northern Inland Head Office in Barraba during October to personally hand over the goodies.
In describing the drought-stricken scenery on her journey, Erin admits that what she saw travelling from Lismore to Barraba shocked her.
"No amount of warning prepared me for what I was seeing, and how truly heartbreaking it was."
Executive Officer Alison Heagney said it was important for campus staff and students to know that people care about the challenges being faced in the region:
"This year, the college has worked tirelessly to deliver subsidised training to drought affected farmers and businesses and their workers as they look to diversify and strengthen their businesses during drought. It’s important to remember that our college Board and Executive, staff and trainers all live within the Northern Inland region and that these members of our education community who work every day to provide opportunities to drought-weary farmers and businesses are also affected by current conditions including drought and fires, loss of livelihoods and stock."
"Campus staff have been particularly touched by the gesture made by ACE Community Colleges to provide campus packs not only for students and farmers in our region who are doing it tough but also for college staff. It’s a wonderful thing to see our coordinators unwrap a pamper pack knowing it was handmade with love and gifted to them. I feel like Santa Claus!"
Northern Inland staff wish to extend their deepest thanks and appreciation to members of ACE Community Colleges and their Lismore and Burleigh Waters campuses who have shown the true spirit of community. The student campus packs will be used to support learners that are severely affected by drought.
Photograph: Pictured (standing at left) is trainer Angela Carroll and Catherine Davis, Moree Campus Coordinator, after distributing campus care packs to Moree’s 2019 Certificate IV in Community Services class.