Despite the wet weather, the Chisholm Catholic College community embraced the spirit of generosity, service and House pride during our 2026 LifeLink Day celebrations. The enthusiasm of our students and staff ensured that the day was a tremendous success, highlighting our commitment to supporting those in need throughout the Perth community.
The day began with a well-established tradition – the House Food Line Challenge. Students from every House worked together to arrange their donated non-perishable food items into a single continuous line, competing to create the longest line within each year group. The challenge was a fun and creative way to celebrate House spirit while reinforcing the importance of every donation. Collectively, the College contributed a significant quantity of food, which will now be transported to The Shopfront, where it will help provide meals and essential support to families and individuals experiencing food insecurity across Perth.
A highlight of the day was our whole College assembly, where we welcomed Mr Damian Walsh, Director of The Shopfront. Mr Walsh spoke passionately about the impact our community’s generosity will have on the lives of vulnerable people in our city. Through powerful stories of individuals and families currently being supported by the agency, he helped students understand that homelessness and hardship are not distant issues, but realities faced by many in our own community.
Perhaps the most sobering moment came when Mr Walsh shared that tonight approximately twice the population of our College community will be the number of young people under the age of 18 sleeping rough across Western Australia. His message challenged us all to recognise that while we cannot solve every problem, our actions today will make a meaningful difference in the lives of some of these young people and their families. This message was reemphasised by our principal Mr Simon Harvey as he quoted the saying of St Francis of Assisi that we should “start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
The celebrations concluded with our much-anticipated House Skits and Chants, where each House proudly showcased its creativity, enthusiasm and community spirit while celebrating the inspiring example of Caroline Chisholm and our four House patrons. The performances reflected the joy and unity that characterise our College community and brought the day to a fitting conclusion.
Congratulations to Keenan House, whose outstanding performance earned them first place in the House Skit competition.
LifeLink Day once again demonstrated that when our community comes together in faith and service, we can make a genuine difference. Through our generosity, compassion and commitment to others, we continue to live the Gospel values and the enduring legacy of Caroline Chisholm.
Deacon Aaron Peters
Deputy Principal – Mission
