Kind hearts for kinder

Rotary members Margaret McDonald and Ken McDonald, in green, sit down at a new table with Dandenong Kindergarten education leader Jane Raymond and students Jashanpreet, Noorpreet and Ammy. 116310 Picture: ROB CAREW

DANDENONG Kindergarten kids are now learning and playing at new tables and chairs.
The Rotary Club of Dandenong donated the new furniture “because what they had was terrible”, club president Ken McDonald said.
“The smile on their faces… ” he said.
“We saw that the kids needed some help.”
Past president Phil Lunt organised help for the kinder last year.
“We did quite a bit of work around the yard,” Mr McDonald said.
“We laid beds for vegetables so they could watch vegies grow.
“We put tanbark around and tidied it all up and made it look good.
“They had really old furniture so we went through our bank accounts to see what we had.
“We came up with a bit over $3000.”
The club replaced all the furniture in the kinder and put up shade cloth over the sandpit.
“The little ones that go there are mainly refugees that are on bridging visas,” Mr McDonald said.
He said most kinders relied on parent committees to organise fundraising.
“This one doesn’t have that luxury,” he said.
“We’re only too pleased to assist the refugees in this way,” he said.
“They get out here and don’t get a great deal of help, particularly when the kids are at such an age that they need a bit of education.”
The Rotary Club of Dandenong welcomes new members.
Visit www.rotarydandenong.com.au to get involved.