Current Activity
Spreading Seasonal Cheer
Rotary was busy over the Christmas period providing messages and gifts to Lifeview Nursing Home as well as helping sponsor the hams in the Christmas Hampers that were so efficiently distributed by St Mark's and St Luke's churches to those needing a little extra help.
Clubs Pitch In to Assist Puffing Billy
On Thursday 13 of us joined 5 members from Belgrave to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s passing by getting dirty at Puffing Billy Railway. Called up at the last minute to save the day, this was a true reflection of Rotarians volunteering when needed. PBR had received 60 tonnes of dirty coal, and needed us to remove rock and slate from the remaining 20 tonnes.
CEO Peter Abbot volunteered with us, along with a staffer Andrew making us earn our coffees. It was a load of coal fun over 3 hours, and a few members even asked if we can come back next week to do some more. We just might. Andrew provided us with a tour of the workshop afterwards too.
It was also an opportunity to be involved with some of the Belgrave members.
Highlights 2021-2022
The year started with our local community under strain, as the 2021 June storms had just occurred when our Committee came together for the new Rotary year.
Our Club quickly became involved with the “Help The Hills” initiative, to support Emerald CFA Captain, Paul Yandle, in his endeavours to get clean-up crews of volunteers in, after the safety teams had been through the hardest-hit areas on the hills. Members also volunteered at the Kalorama Relief Hub, in liaison with St. Michael’s Church. The devastation was quite overwhelming and there are still many families not back in their homes since the storm event on 9th and 10th of June 2021.
We worked closely with our local Cluster Clubs, Belgrave and Monbulk, and the District RAWCS reps, to look at the best way for the funds raised across the District (and from further afield) to be spent to support the families and the areas most impacted.
Our Club also raised funds, sourced via a number of donations from other Clubs, locals and former members, Erica and Richard Gaunt.
Our Club was able to support the following:
- Purchase of $1000 worth of firewood to donate to local families in Kalorama
- Repair to a family’s dangerous driveway in Kalorama
- Bunnings vouchers to families in need
- Purchase of play equipment for Mt. Dandenong Preschool to replace damaged items
- Funding for food for Emerald Wildlife Centre, attending to native animals injured in the storm
- Purchase of signage at the staging area for the Help the Hills project
- Funding for a wellbeing program run by the School Chaplain at Mt. Dandenong Primary School for students impacted by the storms
- Laptop for impacted student and family in Kalorama
The District RAWCS funds went towards the following:
- Emerald and Surrounds SES – safety equipment
- Rescue Our Logs – wellbeing project to support those in trauma
- Treasure Our Trees - equipment for clearing the area
- Habitat for Humanity – training and equipment for clearing the area
- Kalorama Chestnut Festival (sponsor of Mt. Dandenong Preschool) – equipment
Our Committee and Club Members also supported the running of the Rotary Storm Recovery Festival, a fun and free family day held in February this year to thank and recognise our Emergency Services and send the message to all affected residents that they were still in our thoughts.
Other activities the team supported during the year were:
- Writing cards and donating lolly bags and gifts for the Emerald Glades residents at Christmas
- Donating Easter eggs and liaising with local Emerald Primary School to supply hand-made Easter baskets
The wide-reaching and severe impact of the floods this year in NSW and Queensland was brought home to our members when we reached out to the Rotary Club of Lismore to see what we could do to support. We discovered that the whole township, including the Rotary Club President, was in dire straits, with businesses closed and people struggling with everything from food to shelter.
So, we decided to support with our funds, by donating $4000 to be used as necessary by the local Rotary Club, but most likely to provide food vouchers and transport for local school children to attend the only still-functioning school nearby, but out of town. We will continue to stay in touch with our new friends at the Rotary Club of Lismore via Secretary Brian Wheatley.
Other donations to support our local community in protecting the health and wellbeing of its members included:
- $500 towards Christmas Hampers for St. Luke’s Church in Cockatoo to distribute to families in need
- $500 towards Christmas Hampers for St. Mark’s Church in Emerald to distribute to families in need
- $1000 to Emerald Junior Football-Netball Club for a defibrillator
- $1000 to St. Joseph’s Church in Emerald for a defibrillator.
My heartfelt thanks to the Community Service Committee – your enthusiasm, compassion and dedication to this team throughout the year were wonderful and your support to me was very much appreciated – thank you Susi, Carol, Gloria and John Shaw.
