The mark of a selfless person is their modesty - which is why Chevalier College students want to thank Zelda Williams.
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When Chev students think of the Red Cross calling – a doorknock appeal they undertake each year in March – they think of Mrs Williams, a kind lady with a generous heart.
While the students approach residents surrounding their school community and visit homes either side of Moss Vale Road, Mrs Williams waits at the school with light snacks, refreshments and decades worth of stories to share with the teenagers.
And she’s done so for 40 years at Chevalier, and 55 years in total with the Red Cross.
Mrs Williams said she valued her Red Cross work because it covered so many issues for which money was desperately needed.
“To volunteer like this is wonderful,” she said. “We help people suffering through extreme drought, bushfires and during disaster periods and help make sure children go to school with breakfast.”
Mrs Williams said one program she was very fond of was TeleCross – a daily phone call to check on the wellbeing of elderly people who live alone. “We check in on them, have a yarn and make sure they’re OK.”
Mrs Williams is a third-generation member of the Moss Vale–Berrima Red Cross branch, following her mother and grandmother who served through the war years.
She hopes to continue the tradition, with grandchildren among the staff and student body of Chevalier College.
More than 40 students from the school called on the Highlands to help make a big change with small coins on March 2. And they were impressed to see the community had much more to offer.
“Some people have been saving up for this all year,” said Year 9 student Harry Denington. “They know we’re coming around in March, so they put money aside. And it’s not just coins, it’s notes too.”
Continuing the 40-year tradition, students from Chevalier College took their Red Cross collection tins on a walk through the Burradoo neighbourhood.
Very quickly, they were struggling to support the weight of the containers.
The Red Cross Calling is held each year in March across Australia, with thousands of volunteers collecting donations to support people in need.
Victoria Lee
The Canberra Times Journalist, Producer
The Canberra Times Journalist, Producer
