Term 2, Week 5

Wrapped with Care: Values in Action at Lauries

In 1999, after officially launching my glamorous career as a Subway Sandwich Artist in the illustrious Noosa Junction, I received my first pay. A grand total of $15.15 for three hours of work. It felt like a rite of passage. I stayed in that role for another two years, learning a few things that only a Sandwich Artist truly understands: never ignore a blunt knife, overripe tomatoes accelerate a soggy decline, and air bubbles in the sauce bottle will put the kybosh on any culinary flair.

But perhaps the most underrated skill was learning how to wrap a sandwich properly. Good wrapping contains the overloaded sub requested by the surfer demanding double meat. It disguises the architectural chaos of a salad assembled by an indecisive backpacker. It helps the frazzled parent – underwhelmed by Noosa’s parking options which haven’t improved – return to their chicks wrestling in the backseat without losing the bundle… or their sanity.

Fortunately, I’ve retained this skill. It came in handy this week when I joined several Lauries students, Mr Phil Hiley, and Ms Emily Hakes at Emmanuel City Mission, a service that supports people experiencing homelessness and vulnerability. Our students regularly volunteer here, preparing bacon and egg rolls for breakfast. Taking their stations, the boys performed their roles with quiet competence and care. Wanting to be useful, I was relieved to discover I could still offer value at the end of the line by wrapping burgers with my old Subway flair.

For those curious, here’s how to do it:

1. Angle the wrap so that a corner points toward you.
2. Place the burger near the bottom corner, leaving enough space to fold.
3. Pull the bottom corner over the burger.
4. Hold the wrap in place, then roll the burger away from you once.
5. Fold in the right side, then roll again.
6. Repeat on the left side.
7. Continue rolling until the burger is fully wrapped.

I’ve written before about our collective fondness for a bacon and egg roll, but in this context, it takes on new meaning. It’s heartwarming to witness our Lauries students making a quiet impact, connecting with those doing it tough. Through the simple act of offering breakfast, I saw our boys display compassion, teamwork, generosity of spirit, and even a bit of interpersonal courage. In the midst of hardship, the easy banter and ready smile of a teenage boy can do more good than we often realise.

While National Volunteer Week offers a welcome opportunity to celebrate community service, Lauries boys live their values every week in their actions, gestures, and words.

And as I stood there wrapping burgers at the end of the line, I couldn’t help but smile. Who would have thought that a skill I picked up in a sandwich shop at Noosa Junction, dodging rogue tomatoes and air bubbles, would one day help me bear witness to something far more meaningful? Back then, I was just trying to keep the sauce in the roll. This week, I watched our students keep dignity, warmth, and humanity wrapped safely in theirs.

Turns out, some jobs stay with you.

MS GRACE LOYDEN

Dean of Learning & Teaching