St Sebastian’s Youth Conference in Wagga Wagga was looking for different initiatives to get more involved with the community and support the most vulnerable in new ways. After discussions, meetings, and few ideas they decided to start a Green Team. 

Our Youth Members saw how hard was for some families to keep up with their gardens and there wasn’t a lot of support provided in this area. The first step was to learn some gardening skills and that’s when they decided to approach Erin Earth, a community garden, for some volunteering options.  

Erin Earth focuses in teaching the community about sustainability, native plants, and the importance of engaging with the community through a responsible gardening program. The opportunity to partner with Erin Earth for upskilling over three months was a blessing. Our Members learned about native plants, composting, pruning, weeding and planting. 

Now, our young volunteers are assisting people we assist with mowing, pruning, and weeding. Adult Conferences and the Youth Conference in Wagga are working collaboratively in this program which has been fantastic. In early October, St Sebastian’s Youth Conference assisted their first client through a referral from Micah Hub. This family needed a helping hand with mowing. The results were absolutely amazing, and the client could not have been more grateful.  

St Sebastian’s Youth Conference is looking forward to next year. They have couple of referrals and can’t wait to get their gloves on again and assist those in need!