Current Activity
Community Service continues to support local initiatives and major projects and will once again be contributing to the Christmas Hampers distributed to those in need in the local area.
Highlights 2024-25
Chair: PP PHF Tina McInerney and Hita Mistry
Team: Adam Willems-Jones, Carol Cain, Melinda Moulday, Roy Bowyer, Kerry Champness, Toni-Anne Griffin
Firstly, thank you to the wonderful team members, who worked so hard to get it all done during the year. It has been a busy time, with many people in our community in need.
We have spent our budget of $14,616 as follows:
We have continued to help St. Lukes Food Bank which runs on a Monday allowing those who use the store to collect their weeks groceries. However, this year, has been particularly difficult even for the aid agencies like Second Bite. We increased our contribution to St. Lukes by $1,500 for extra meat when the freezers were empty. There was extra money for the petrol vouchers, and enough left over for cakes and chocolates at Christmas and Easter. As an aid worker said to me, it’s hard to get excited about a can of beans at Christmas time. So, you can imagine our delight when we were the recipients of 26 pallets of craft supplies that were able to distribute to schools and kindergartens and various Rotary Charities, as well as St. Lukes allowing come children to at least have a few gifts under the tree.
As well as the $1,000 given to the local Chemist as financial assistance for those unable to pay for their medicines. That was a continuation from last year and this year we have been able to provide funds for the Toy Library, for families that cannot afford the annual fee; the Cockatoo Scouts, who needed a ladder and a leaf blower, a computer was purchased for the Ash Wednesday Group, a refrigerator for the Cockatoo Over 50’s club, $1,500 was provided for Toys for the Gembrook Jitterbug Play Group, and $2,500 to extend the Bird enclosure for the Wildlife Sanctuary.
With the help of 2 other Rotary Clubs, we were able to buy a Marquee for the Foothills Group that does such good work helping individuals and families in the area around Belgrave, Ferntree Gully, Tecoma and beyond, and in conjunction with the Youth Committee, we have purchased a water fountain for the Emerald Junior Football Club.
It seems that every year more and more families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. We are lucky that we are able to help even in some small way. After all – it is in giving that we receive.
Thank you again to the team.
