On Wednesday nights at the entrance to Woodridge railway station, Rosies volunteers arrive to the eager faces of patrons from every continent bar Antarctica.
Ruby, from her wheelchair, tells Andrew he must be a new volunteer because she hasn’t seen his face before.
Robbie, from the local Islamic temple turns up with home cooked meals for about 20 patrons.
New Rosies Chaplain Fr John David (recently arrived from India) joins Robbie as they engage with Sri Lankan, Iranian and other refugees.
Fr John speaks Tamil easily which facilitates some animated conversation.
Ed tunefully fills the backdrop with a variety of harmonica solos, and cheerfully tells a tale in spite of now being on his own and not in the best of health.
The Street Doctor (a Bangladeshi migrant) and his nurse (a delightful young Somalian woman) tend professionally and happily to an array of patients who would otherwise be reluctant to seek medical attention.
A young woman from Caboolture, looking rather lost, couldn’t believe the service on offer.
‘We have 216 nationalities in Logan,’ Logan branch coordinator Margaret Harvey says proudly, ‘and many of them are represented among our patrons and of our volunteer ranks.
‘The diversity ensures its never a dull moment.’
Yet it would be easy to get subsumed in the general camaraderie.
The dangers are obvious for some of the more vulnerable and we pray they have the strength to stand their ground.
The bond of our volunteer teams no doubt gives them hope.