Refinery volunteers hold out helping hands at school

Kwinana workers have rolled up their sleeves to help the newest generation.

Employees from Alcoa’s Kwinana Refinery recently volunteered their time for the second year in a row at Calista Primary School.

Renewing friendships formed in 2015, the group of volunteers spent an afternoon completing paving work around classrooms as well as painting hobby boxes for the Calista playgroup.

Last year the workers built a greenhouse, helped demolish a bike shed and did general maintenance work around the school.

Staff at the school have kept in touch with the employees in the past 12 months with progress photos of the school’s fresh produce from their greenhouse taking pride of place in classroom lessons.

Learning and Development Coordinator Andrea Richardson was happy to return to Calista PS with her team. “It is so rewarding to volunteer in the local community and it has been such a buzz for the team and I to return to Calista this year and see how the plants are going in the greenhouse, and to do a bit more heavy lifting and help out,” she said.

As part of Alcoa’s annual October Month of Service employees donate thousands of volunteer hours to aid more than 100 community and non-profit organisations Australia-wide.