Anti-Poverty week and Mental Health Week

In October we farewelled our long standing Chaplain Father John David OMI. He received a new appointment from the Oblate Provincial and took up his new ministry in Adelaide. Father John David has been Rosies Chaplain for three and half years. During that time he spent countless hours on the street sharing friendship with both our patrons and our volunteers. He will be very much missed.

There were a couple of events this month. Rosies Logan went to the local Homeless Connect. Meanwhile our Wynnum Manly branch took part in Wynnum Connect as part of the Anti-Poverty week. It was a great opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces. The event was a huge success with many service providers joining us at the event. On the Sunshine Coast, the team visited Caloundra State High School during Mental Health Week to raise awareness about the issue.

This month we deepen our involvement with the local communities in Beenleigh and Brisbane. Rosies Beenleigh started to support the local Uniting Church’s lunch for those less fortunate. The lunch takes place once a month and is very popular with our patrons. In Brisbane, the Rosies Yeronga Catholic Parish team enjoyed their first outreach making new friends at Brigadoon Boarding House on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone is looking forward to many more to come.

Once again, we thank our many supporters without whom our work would simply not be possible. The Wellington Manor dipped deep at their annual soup kitchen and fundraising event to support the organisation. The retirement village also regularly supports us with supplies for our friends on the street.

Inspired by recent young heroes, little stars sisters Ava-May and Neve collected three huge bags of hygiene items for our Brisbane branch. Their donation completed the ones received this month from St Therese Catholic Parish and School in Cairns and the Molloy House at St Columban College, in Caboolture.

On the Gold Coast, students from St Michael’s College come every Monday to give us a hand at the drop in centre. ‘My experience at Rosies was an eye-opener and it made me realise that we all have a part to play’, shares Hannah, one of the students involved in the program.
Although too young to outreach with us on the street, year 7s and 8s from San Sisto College in Brisbane have been coming to clean the branch’s outreach room and vans once a month for almost a year. It makes a huge difference to our teams in Brisbane.