Community Service

 

Firstly, thank you to the Community Team for their valiant efforts this year. While our start this year was a little slower than normal, we have been able to help many people and brought joy to our community members.  Some of our projects are continuations from the previous years – with Christmas cards and Calendars and Easter Eggs for our Senior Citizens at the Glades – to Christmas Hams and chocolates and cakes for the Christmas Hampers at St. Lukes and this year we were able to support the Emerald Scouts in their drive to provide Christmas Hampers for the needy in our community.  That was a wonderful initiative from a group of young people who saw the need for those less fortunate than themselves.

 

We were also able to Support the Selby Scouts in their quest to purchase a new trailer for the canoes that they use to go rowing on the many rivers in and around the district.  It took a year for them to raise the money – but they are thrilled to now be able to be back on the water.

 

Like many of the charities in and around the world – many of our community are in need of help, perhaps more than in the years gone by – so we have been very happy to support St. Lukes when they ran out of the goods that they would normally ask the charities like Second bite and Foodbank to help them with.  Those charities are already stretched to the maximum, and things like shampoos and deodorants and soap have now become luxury items.  This is where our club stepped in to help by purchasing those goods for the food store and by offering petrol vouchers.   This year we have increased the amount of $50 vouchers up to $2000.  It seems like a lot, but it is only 40 vouchers and there is a minimum of 70 families that attend the food store every week. 

 

There are so many good projects that need our help – In Gembrook, ECHO runs a kindergarten once a week where children from all different backgrounds gather with their parents to play and share their experiences with other families from different socio-economic groups. It’s a wonderful program.

 

But Community is not just about money – we have volunteered our time for 6 Thursday nights a term to help in the kitchen of St. Lukes in a Program called 2XL.  Children are offered a one-on-one partnership through the year with a mentor – and the families all get together at the end of the night for a meal.  That has been very rewarding and a lot of fun.

 

Sometimes it is little things that make a difference – the purchase of a laptop to help organize the Cockatoo Bus schedule.  The purchase of a freezer for St. Lukes to keep their food frozen. 

 

Paying for the purchase of signs for Neighbourhood watch, and the all-important $1000 for the local pharmacy, who know the people that cannot pay for their medication. We have supported the Bush Fire Disaster Appeal and our John Shaw in his ride for Rotary Health. 

 

They are just small amounts of money that make a huge difference. 

 

Each one of the Community Committee has been enthusiastic and always ready to give a helping hand to others.  Because we understand how fortunate we are to have the OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE.  Which is precisely what Community means. 

 

Thank you again to the wonderful Team for all your hard work and support.