WEEROONA College's first VCAL students have made their mark on Bendigo Family and Financial Services, donating 50 care packages for people experiencing homelessness and domestic violence.
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It comes amid surging demand for help from the community organisation.
Bendigo Family and Financial Services general manager Jenny Elvey said demand was up by 40 per cent, compared with pre-pandemic levels.
"It's increasing each week," she said.
The service was seeing a lot more people coming through financial counselling, particularly as utility bills from the lockdown started rolling in.
Though not a specialist family violence response agency, Bendigo Family and Financial Services provides assistance such as emergency relief.
Each of the packs Weeroona College donated contained essential items, including hand sanitiser.
Weeroona College VCAL coordinator Shawn McCormick said students had achieved a variety of learning outcomes, such as budgeting, while assembling the packs.
He and the students were hopeful the activity would also be beneficial to people who had been doing it tough.
Funding came through the state government's Advance program, with added support from a donation of hand sanitiser by Sunitiser.
The total value of the donated packs was about $5000.
Ms Elvey welcomed the packs, which she expected would lift the recipients' spirits.
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