Current Activity
Community Service continues to support local initiatives and will once again be contributing to the Christmas Hampers distributed to those in need in the local area.
Highlights 2023-2024
Chair: PP PHF Emma Clark – Community Service Chair
Team: PP PHF John Shaw, Carol Cain, Melinda Moulday, Adam Jones, Tracey-Lee Bannister, Paula Jones
Throughout the year the Community Service team has been involved in supporting a number of community groups, financially, by donations of goods and hands-on engagement. The Community Services committee has been focused on providing support to as many sectors of our community as possible. It has included providing funds for items that are of an urgent need and that will make a big impact for them.
In August, we donated to “Mums Of The Hills” to help refurbish and add security measures to the building in Belgrave they are using as their office/hub, which serves as their office and a safe space for women/mothers in need.
The continued cost of living pressures faced by many has seen us continue the fuel vouchers program (started by PP Gayle) across the year (around $2000 worth), which were distributed by St Luke’s, and the pharmacy vouchers to the value of $1000 which are being overseen by Susi – thank you Susi!!
Other donations this year have included:
- $500 to the cost of commemorative badges to the Emerald Scouting Group who were celebrating a 100-year milestone of scouting for their group.
- $1799 to the Gembrook RSL for a defibrillator machine for their rooms.
- $500 to Lifeline (via psychologist Lisa Palmer’s ultramarathon challenge - a supporter of our Mental Health Forum).
- $500 to The Compassionate Friends after a moving talk by member Kevin Purvis, whose group supports those who are grieving around Victoria.
- During the horrendous storm of February 2024 our emergency services and volunteers worked tirelessly to clear debris and assist the community.We donated $750 to Emerald SES to help feed volunteers during the recovery.
We supported CIRE Services in Lilydale, by setting up a clothing donation campaign in November to collect good quality women’s clothing to help in their FICE program (First Impressions Clothing Exchange) which aids women by providing appropriate clothing for job interviews. We put up flyers and set up collection points around the Emerald community. We ended up collecting 20 bags of clothing which the team sorted through and was then collected by FICE who were most grateful.
We have also undertaken a stationery appeal to support the Rotary Donations in Kind program, which collects unused stationary items and school supplies and distributes to schools in Timor Leste, Pacific Islands and Africa.
We supported our community during Christmas time:
- In collaboration with John from EDRA some members volunteered and helped with the decorations of the townships of Emerald, Cockatoo and Gembrook.
- For the residents of Life View, Carol purchased gifts (calendars and bon bons) and had cards written to each resident with Carol and Paula presenting these to them.
- 70 Christmas hampers were sent out by St Luke’s of which we donated Christmas hams for each hamper.
At Easter, Tracey prepared Easter gifts for the Life View residents, and delivered them with PP Shalini and Onslow!
This year we also submitted a Cardinia Council Community Grant Application for a new club BBQ. We were successful in receiving $1860 which will go toward the cost of the new club BBQ.
We have continued to connect with local community groups, which has been a great experience and has meant that we can achieve more than we do on our own.
I would like to thank the members of the amazing Community Service Committee this year – they all stepped up to the plate time and again to help out the community and support myself – you are all STARS! I would also like to credit Paula and Tracey with writing the bulk of this Annual Report for me when I was struggling to find time. Yet another example of how we all support and work together in Rotary as a wonderful team in our excellent Club!
