Our stories

‘Remember you are awesome’: Rise kid’s mission to put a smile on every face

Sometimes the little acts show our team how much their support is helping.

Bernie* is six years old and has had a rough start to the year. Her dad was taken into custody, and she was left feeling confused and missing him.

Her Rise mentor has been supporting her during this difficult time to keep Bernie* engaged at school and help her work through her emotions as she tries to understand the changes to her family life.

One day, Bernie decided she wanted to do something kind for every kid in her school!

After her mentor discussed the impracticalities of buying over 500 kids a present, they settled on a lovely message for everyone to walk past.

Bernie came up with what she wanted to say and, together with her mentor, took over the school blackboard.

The mission: To put a smile on the face of every person who walks by!

And a successful mission it was! They created a lovely message saying ‘You Are Awesome’ (and who doesn’t need to hear that now and then!), brightening up the school, the faces, and most importantly, Bernie.

As she excitedly showed off her handy work to the passers-by and engaged them in conversation, our mentor reflected that this was a significant milestone for a very shy child.

We are so proud of Bernie and her growing confidence.

Bernie, YOU Are Awesome.

Thank you to Anglicare Victoria for supporting the Rise program.

Please, support Rise to keep children engaged with their education and school communities.