Mackenzie pictured with Brisbane Branch Coordinator Sarah Corbett

When Brent started volunteering with Rosies in 2018 he had no idea how much his girls Mackenzie and Sierra would want to get involved.

“I’m a school teacher and went along with the senior students to an outreach down the Gold Coast and had a really wonderful experience, and I wanted to keep giving back so I started volunteering with the Brisbane branch”

Brent and his daughters were familiar with Rosies and had even stopped to chat to volunteers and patrons while admiring Christmas light displays in their local community. Once Mackenzie learned that her father was going to volunteer with Rosies regularly she too wanted to be involved and connect with patrons on outreach. However, due to her age (Mackenzie is 10 and Sierra just 7), she couldn’t attend outreach so she took it upon herself to organise donation drives for Rosies.

Mackenzie, a student at a local Brisbane primary school approached the principal with her idea and started hosting regular donation drives for toiletries and noodles. Mackenzie and Sierra then collect all of the items and present them to our Brisbane branch for use on outreach.

Brent said “The girls, particularly Mackenzie, are very socially minded they just want to help people in any way that they can. These girls are going to change the world they live in”

Mackenzie has also found other ways to spread the mission of Rosies to others until she’s old enough to formally volunteer her time. She regularly visits an elderly resident in her neighbourhood for morning tea and a chat.