Baristas at Broadford Secondary

By Evelyn Leckie

Broadford Secondary College VCAL students are using their training in barista courses for a good cause – selling coffees for teachers and students to fundraise for the homeless.

VCAL students are collecting money for the school’s ‘winter sleep out’ – an event on June 24 where students ‘sleep rough’ in the school hall for a night, raising awareness about vulnerability and homelessness.

“The sleep out event will be in the school hall. We’ll be sleeping on a cardboard box with a blanket as we’re currently learning about vulnerability and homelessness in class,” year 11 student Georgia White said.

Ms White added the program had been beneficial for her studies.

“I’m going to do an apprenticeship in hairdressing, and serving coffee is part of the job – groups of us went down to Melbourne to do the course, it was really good,” she said.

“Teachers pay four dollars per coffee and we’re thinking of adding toasted sandwiches as part of the idea to fundraise more money.”

Ms White said she went to school at 8am to start taking coffee orders, and fellow student Jack Ramsay arrived a little earlier in the morning to warm up the coffee machine.

“The principal always comes in early to get his coffee,” VCAL teacher Deb Hubbard said.

“He’s backed every VCAL project we come up with and it’s really nice having leadership support.”

Ms White said money raised from the sleep-out would also go to Broadford Love in Action and the Salvation Army.