Darcy told me at outreach recently that on a cold night in August he was hobbling through Groom Park in Toowoomba when confronted by a young bloke wanting a smoke. Darcy was hobbling because he was still recovering from a broken ankle and was wearing a moon boot. Unfortunately, the encounter ended badly as the young bloke didn’t believe Darcy was out of smokes and lashed out with a knife severely lacerating Darcy’s left hand. Darcy, however is always cheerful, in spite of his many injuries, when he comes to Rosies outreach, an inspiration to us all.
The community of Beenleigh is working hard to connect up by holding monthly events in the new Town Square. Along with Lisa, Rosies new Branch Coordinator and our volunteer Dave, I spent an enjoyable afternoon at the October event – Straight Outta Beenleigh – serving coffee and cordial and getting to know some other wonderful organisations. Our new outreach room hosts, Beenleigh Uniting Church were there. We are enthusiastic about how various groups can complement each other in reaching out to the marginalised across all our branches.
Shane and Nicole were very gracious hosts at the LJ Hooker Race Day on 5 November at the Gold Coast Turf Club. For the second year running they and eight other LJ Hooker Principals provided their staff and some Rosies representatives with a fantastic day at the races. Wendy, our Gold Coast Coordinator moved the crowd with stories of encounters on the street, and LJ Hooker’s wonderful fundraising efforts are symbolic of the regard our supporters have for the efforts of our volunteers and the needs of our friends.
As I reflect on these various encounters, it reminds me that Rosies is not so much a human service as a dynamic of human encounters. These encounters involve our family of patrons, volunteers, and supporters. And each of us brings our own gifts, personalities, prayers, and experiences to these encounters. No wonder it works.
The wonder of Christmas is that God became human so that we could recognise him in our humanity. Through the presence of Jesus our encounters are transformed with divine life.
In gratitude for your presence in the
Rosies family. Thank you.
Andrew O’Brien
Rosies General Manager
