Cyclone Gabrielle: Whanganui Collegiate School helps families affected

Students and parents part of the Whanganui Collegiate School community donated essential supplies to families affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Whanganui Collegiate School has come together to help families affected by Cyclone Gabrielle which hit close to home for many of its families.

Headmaster Wayne Brown said the school’s “Call to Arms” drive collected essential items for cyclone-hit parts of the country.

“We have 81 families who were intimately affected by this flooding and we were very aware of the impact that this may have on our students from those regions,” he said.

“Naturally they were worried about their families and communities and it was our job to look after them from a pastoral care perspective and support them and what they were going through.

Collegiate “Call to Arms” coincided with the school’s biggest weekend, the Collegiate Weekend where families come together for school sports competitions.

“This was a case of our wider school community helping another part of our school community who needed it. Our families helping our families,” Brown said.

A specific list of what the families needed was compiled, including gumboots, shovels, blankets, bedding, personal hygiene products, pet food, nappies, face masks and gloves.

Families began donating items on Friday and by Sunday Brown said the school’s gymnasium was filled with not only items but students, staff and other parents to help pack vehicles heading out to Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and other areas that needed help.

“To call this humbling is an understatement,” Brown said.

“At times like this, it’s very easy to feel powerless, but we know our school community and we knew that they would want to help. We are all exceptionally grateful to our parents, students and staff for being able to make a difference in some very trying times,” he said.