Altona College is the latest school in the west to receive $2500 from the Walk a Mile in my Shoes (WAMIMS) fundraiser 2021-22, to go towards the school’s wellbeing program for its students.
WAMIMS founder Justine Brogna attended Altona college and feels this was a full circle moment.
“I started this organisation in 2018 as a community development project, now it is a TreeHaus charity project to raise awareness and funds for mental health,” she said.
“It started as an awareness raising event and became a fundraising event a year later.
“Each year the money raised from the fundraising event goes back to primary and high schools, primarily in Hobsons Bay.”
WAMIMS have donated to 10 schools since it started in 2018.
“I didn’t want to donate to bigger organisations where we didn’t know where the money would go, I wanted it to directly benefit people and early development, adolescents and early childhood,” Ms Brogna said.
Altona College student wellbeing co-ordinator Julie Giles, said the school is going to engage with students and the student representative council to decide what to do with the donation.
“We are looking at expanding the number of wellbeing spaces we have around the school so that everyone has more ease of access,” she said.
“Altona college values our students well being just as much as we value their learning and we need to ensure that the wellbeing is catered for our students.
“We are grateful for companies like this, which are invaluable to school well being because any contribution to resourcing is greatly appreciated.”
Jennifer Pittorino
