Bryan Tuesley recently forwarded photographs from a ceremony held in a Papua Niugini highlands village roughly 3 hours outside of Mt Hagen, wherein members of the local community received wheelchairs produced at the Project Shed.
The photos below show Leanne, a retired Australian nurse, speaking with some of the recipients of chairs produced at the Project Shed.
If ever you needed insight as to why Club members are motivated to donate their time and energies in fundraising, collecting bikes, obtaining quotes, loading containers and all the other activities associated with keeping the Project Shed up and running, then take a few moments to carefully study these photographs.
These chairs have such an life-changing impact for those in our Pacific neighbourhood.
Feedback from the director of Someone Who Cares, Del Cole, who was responsible for organising the transportation and shipment of these chairs to PNG, is that demand far exceeded supply.
Like the Trust, Someone Who Cares is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient.
Del says Someone Who Cares is organising another container to be sent to PNG in the coming months and has asked for the Club to donate as many chairs as possible.
My view is all of the current stock of completed chairs should be donated.
Not only will this provide positive feedback to the volunteers who work at the Project Shed that their work is bringing real benefits to those in need, but it will also help build an ongoing relationship with a charitable organisation working in the same sector as the Project Shed’s operation while also strengthen ties with our closest neighbour.
As per President Mitch's message above, these photos were sent to to Bryan Tuesley, our wheelchair "foreman", from PNG, where they were deployed by Del Cole (Someone Who Cares charity). Good to see that our work is doing good. Give yourselves a pat on the back!
Helena Griffiths (Ashleigh Symes' mum) will speak on behalf of her employer, the ‘Australian Institute of Ultrasound’. They are an ultrasound training institute based in Broadbeach and require volunteers to assist in student ultrasound training. Although they do not provide diagnostic reports, they will advise the patient and their doctor of any incidental findings that may be identified and some volunteers boast them having saved their life multiple times over.
Angie opened her discourse with the story of a young woman, living in her electorate: The massive cost of living increase causes her constituent acute stress. And the forecast is that over the next months inflation will get even worse. Families struggle, not only due to inflation, but also due to rise of interest rates. The Reserve Bank tries to get inflation back to a target band of 2 – 3%. “The average family, due to inflation, is $25,000 worse off” Angie said. There is nothing in the recent budget to help people who suffer from mortgage stress, nothing for retirees, nothing for local communities, nothing for small business. Angie also referred to bracket creep in taxation.
On job seeking, the opposition’s policy is to allow people who are on welfare to work more hours before their benefits get affected. She is the product of 3 generations of factory workers in South Australia. “The harder you work the luckier you get” is her motto. She also elaborated on the Superannuation changes and Early Learning. In relation to the latter, the major issue is not just money, it is getting access to it: in many regions, there isn’t sufficient staff.
In her capacity as the newly appointed Shadow Minister for Youth, Angie formed a ‘Youth Cabinet’ across the Gold Coast. She then organised and chaired a summit, the ‘Gold Coast Impact Youth Summit’ with the aim of giving young people opportunities, “the same opportunities I had as a young person”. Some 200 young people from public and private schools, and community groups attended. Angie told us about a young, somewhat dejected man who came to her office seeking help. At the recent Youth Summit he was included in a break-out group where he could meet with people who went to university (or planned to go); let’s call them people he would consider privileged and opposite to his situation. Of course, the frank exchange of views proved beneficial for both sides.
Angie concluded by relating some information on workng with her colleagues and her leader, Peter Dutton. “Peter Dutton has the hardest job in Australia, but he has a great sense of humour” she said. [Yes, quite different to what the press, particularly our national broadcaster and the left-leaning press, loves to depict him… But Rotary’s creed is to be above politics, so allow me to desist from further elaborating… Ed.]
Wheelchair Trust Chairman Larry Murray, once he had calmed down, was happy to learn that it had nothing to do with disorderly behaviour, speeding or - thanks the lord - yet another break-in. They had some 20-odd unclaimed bicycles the "Cop Shop" wanted to give us. Yes please! And by the looks of it, they even delivered it to the project shed.
Greetings Franz & Fellow Rotarians ……One of the events of the God Coast Marathon Weekend is the Gold Coast Airport Fun Run & I’m putting together a team from our Surfers Sunrise Rotary Club ….Anne & I are already registered. Here are the details……1) Distance, only 5.7 kl…..2) When, Saturday the 1st of July…..3) Time, 1000hrs….4) Where, Along the Broadwater….5) Starting Point, Broadwater Parklands….Cost, $90.00…BUT only $70.00 to us by joining the Sunrise Rotary Group & paying by the 28th of April….SPECIAL NOTE…..Participants can…. run….jog….walk….crawl or do Cartwheels as long as they finish within 1 hour & 20 minutes (Brisk Walking would take about an hour)….there is a great atmosphere at the track with Families / adults /children/teenagers & Corporate Groups………its healthy & a fun way to enjoy our fabulous Gold Coast Lifestyle…..& at the same time Showcase Surfers Sunrise Rotary……….Register on the “Gold Coast Marathon Website”……PLUS…..send an e-mail to me with your Registration Number to business@mainbeachpost.com.......krg
Duty Roster - note: subject to change - please check every week. Note: Fellowship duty also is expected to be at the Project Shed on the Saturday following the meeting
I’m getting so old that all my friends in heaven think that I didn’t make it.
The secret of the demagogue is to make himself as stupid as his audience so they believe they are clever as he. Karl Kraus, Austrian Writer 1874 – 1936