On Sunday, 11 October, NSW Region Education Wing and the Young Adult Program collaborated for ‘Paint for Purpose’ – a colourful art workshop where members of all ages came together, to transform simple canvas bags into pieces of artwork to be donated to Camp Quality.
Camp Quality (https://www.campquality.org.au/) is an Australian charity that supports children aged 0 – 15 affected by cancer, whether they have been diagnosed themselves or have a parent or sibling who has been diagnosed. Camp Quality’s goal is to bring positivity, fun and laughter into the lives of children and their families during a difficult time. Their main services include recreational programs, hospital support, cancer education and family support with counselling and online resources. We chose to partner with Camp Quality because of its commitment to supporting the community and its shared values of optimism and integrity. These values closely align with the five Human Values articulated in Swami’s teachings, which guide our lives and inspire our service to others.
The morning was spent in the sun at Sri Sathya Sai Centre of Strathfield, with members of all ages coming together through art, teamwork and their shared love for Swami. This involved utilising various resources such as stencils and fabric paint to bring our designs such as butterflies and landscapes to life. It was especially heartwarming to see our children from the Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) program take the lead in drawing designs on their bags, sharing ideas with the adult members and even mixing colours to create the perfect shades!
A special and exciting addition to the day was our boba tea station, ‘Boba Bliss’, serving us with fun and refreshing treats to keep us all energised as we continued painting.
‘Paint for a Purpose’ was a meaningful offering of service, bringing NSW adults, young adults, SSE children and parents together to share our creativity and love for Swami. It reminded us that service can take many forms, and that even the simplest acts, when offered with love and unity, can make a difference in the lives of others.
