“Occasionally he was exposed to the effects of homelessness on the people in the area, so my husband and I would talk to him about it,” says Jack’s mum, Fiona. “My husband is excellent at explaining things to keep him safe but not scared.”
This exposure, along with the guiding principles of mum and dad, pushed Jack into action. Drawing on his talent for baking, in 2019 Jack created a baking fundraiser and donated the proceeds of $850 to St Bart’s.
“I really wanted to bake on a large scale and I saw that maybe the ladies at the Women’s Service could benefit from it,” Jack said.
Rolling up his sleeves once again in August, the Aquinas College student cooked up more delicious batches of cookies and as word got out, he soon had a backlog of orders from supporters both near and far.
Incredibly, Jack raised $1844 for St Bart’s!
“We have lots of friends interstate and overseas who wanted to support Jack, and so we gave them the option of buying a box of cookies to donate to the people that St Bart’s assists,” said mum, Fiona.
We asked Jack a few questions about his fundraising, and here’s what he had to say…
What was your initial reaction when hearing about St Bart’s?
I was surprised to find out their accommodation services were so close to my parent’s office. I only thought of homelessness as those who live on the street. I was happy to know there are places people can go when they need support. Now knowing the services St Bart’s offers are far greater and range from helping adolescents at risk of homelessness to aged care is amazing.
How did your mum help influence your decision to create the fundraiser for St Bart’s?
It was just an idea that evolved and made sense. Mum started teaching me how to cook when I was very young. I enjoy baking and love going to food festivals. I wanted to do something on a large scale just to see if I could do it. Doing a fundraiser was an opportunity to rally support and orders. I wanted to help others in our community and at the same time it helped me. I learnt a lot last year but I have learnt so much more this year. Next year I’m hoping to do it again and invite some friends to do it with me. Hopefully we can raise more money than we did this year.
What was your initial estimate for the fundraiser, and did you exceed this?
I set the goal at $1000. I was amazed to see the orders come in. We raised $1844.
How has the experience helped to broaden or change your perception of homelessness?
My perception of homelessness has changed a lot. I know not everyone has the same experiences in life. St Bart’s is really important to give people who need help somewhere to go and belong until they get back on their feet. I saw how important it was for residents when I visited St Bart’s recently.
What do you hope to do once you finish school?
I would like to do Computer Science when I finish school. My goal is to make technology accessible to everyone. I want to design systems that support people to stay connected through the internet. I’d also like to own a food van.
St Bart’s acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land that we live and work on, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. We are privileged to work with, and alongside, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and encourage those who are emerging as leaders.
St Bart’s is committed to diversity and inclusion in all its forms. We welcome and support the health and wellbeing of all people, regardless of background, age, ethnicity, religion and gender identity.