By REBECCA BILLS
ONE hundred and ninety volunteers came through with the goods to revamp Yarra Hills Secondary College and Mount Evelyn Special Development School early this month.
The blitz was organised by Discovery Church and Global and Community Mobilisation Pastor and organiser Sue Colverson said each year the church organises a blitz for various local organisations in need of some tender loving care.
“We want to be part of the community and do something that is useful,” she said.
“At the SDS we removed some old wheelchair ramps that weren’t being used, an old tool shed to develop a garden area for story time with the children.
“Down the back of the school they had this area that was full of weeds and we got rid of them to open it up for nature walks.”
Ms Colverson said the volunteers created paths, cleared gardens and painted to reinvigorate the school.
Councillor Maria McCarthy originally put the schools in touch with Discovery after hearing that local families were by-passing Yarra Hills for other schools.
“I looked at Yarra Hills to see why this was happening and saw the school itself is in the most magnificent location but it looked unloved,” she said.
“Through METIC I met Sue Colverson who asked if I knew of any opportunities to blitz – the rest is history.”
Cr McCarthy said it was amazing to see all the people working on various aspects of the project to give the students at these two schools an opportunity to realise that their school is important, give back some pride to the students and a stronger sense of ownership.
“I will be on my knees to Sue Colverson for a very long time as she is the most amazing person I currently know,” she said.
“What she was able to pull together to make things happen is purely miraculous.”
