Clifton Community Health Services: Accessible Health Care

Wednesday 17th of February 2021, saw the official opening and blessing for the Special Care/Portable Hospital room donated to Clifton Community Health Services by Canstruct and the Murphy family foundation. At the same time recognizing the generous donation by the "Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, Priory of the Darling Downs" that allowed for the purchase of the Contactless temperature testing stations that have played such a vital part in Covid-19 entry protections.

Many councilors and community officials were present to witness this beautiful moment and were astounded by the generosity and love that the community showed to make this happen.

It is so important to our community and our country to have accessible and affordable health care, no matter rural one may be. Being able to isolate on-site for infection reasons is an amazing accomplishment for the Clifton community and our region as a whole. This is even more prevalent in our current climate. When our news feeds are flooded with horror stories of countries that are left stranded during the COVID-19 pandemic, stories like this make us proud to be Australian and proud to be part of such a lovely community and region.

Clifton Community Health Services are a private, not-for-profit institution looked after by governors from the local community. It is currently one of the town’s largest employers, providing over 50 part-time and full-time people. They are dedicated to increasing quality of life and creating accessible health care for all their patients, no matter how remote.

The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem are a charitable community dedicated to helping the sick and the poor of all nationalities and creeds. They are “a Christian, chivalric, ecumenical and international community of members,” who live by the motto: For Faith, For Service to Humanity.

Melissa feels blessed to be part of this experience and is excited and passionate about watching our region grow and develop even in the most challenging of times.

Have Your Say: Toowoomba Region Library Surveys

Libraries are an extremely important part of our community, particularly our rural communities, so Melissa would like to encourage everyone to complete the survey and have your say about your library!

Across, the Toowoomba region, there are 13 libraries in operation which provide a number of services that are valued and vital to our region’s progression and education. Gone are the days when libraries merely housed books. Our libraries provide invaluable youth programs, author talks, community meetings, and technology lessons, as well as being an archive and home to our community’s history.

As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries play a fundamental role in society. Being a multicultural society, libraries provide essential information for immigrants which allows them to connect and engage with our community. It allows them to meet new people, learn new skills and connect them with resources that aren’t easily found elsewhere. The services they provide produce opportunities for learning, encourage literacy and education, and help mold the new perspectives that are essential to a creative and innovative society. They also help safeguard a reliable record of knowledge accumulated by past generations. Without libraries, it would be onerous to advance research and human knowledge or protect the world’s accumulative wisdom and heritage for future generations.

Have your say by filling out the survey below:

online(External link): https://doit.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7VvPJ6Gzi2nbDvg

Feedback closes at 5pm on Sunday 28 February 2021. All responses will be confidential.

Please share among your networks as it is so vital as many as possible residents have their say!

Gather and Graze: The Support Our Farmers Need

The ‘Gather and Graze’ luncheon, is a “luxurious long lunch, amidst the rolling hills of Ravensbourne.” This luncheon is in support of Australian charity Drought Angels, providing much needed support for our farmers during times natural disaster.

The Australian climate is tough, and our farmers are even tougher. The Drought Angels organisation provides unique empathy and support for our rural sector and their name has become synonymous with the farming community.

Through providing practical assistance and support through food hampers and care packs, they help our Aussie farmers stay afloat during times of drought. However, they also provide much needed mental and emotional support for this proud demographic to ensure they don’t become victims of mental illness.  This is not a charity case for the team at Drought Angels but rather a thank you. Thank you for putting foods on our table. Their goal is simple—"to ensure the Australian Agricultural Industry is sustainable, preserved and thriving for the benefit of everybody.”

Gather and Graze is a fundraising luncheon that supports the Drought Angel’s noble cause. The most recent event was a rave success, thanks to the hard work and vision of so many people. Melissa’s family business, Taylor’s Removals, are a proud sponsor of this cause, particularly due to the connection and involvement they have in the rural community. Melissa and the Taylor’s team are extremely passionate about helping our region and keeping the agricultural industry flourishing.

They enjoyed this year’s lunch immensely and look forward to supporting the cause for many years to come.

To learn a bit more about the Drought Angels organisation, click here!

Citizenship Ceremonies: A Truly Precious Moment

Mel has recently said that citizenship ceremonies are the most treasured parts of her job. She was humbled to be able to be part of such an extraordinary moment in someone’s life and to be able to share those memories with them. Not only just to welcome them as Australian citizens but also into our region and community.

Although many of us do not realise, becoming an Australian citizen is no simple feat. It takes years of patience for these families and individuals, who are often escaping traumas and issues in their own countries. Many inter-national couples are forced to separate for many months while trying to earn their citizenship, so this is a truly life changing and momentous moment.

People are drawn to Australia for our way of life, diverse opportunities and, especially in the current climate, for its safety. Mel says it is a rare treasure to be able to celebrate the incredible diversity of each new citizen as well as the shared values and freedoms they hold amongst them now as Australians.

In In 2019-20 we welcomed 204,817 new Australian citizens, almost double the year before. This is a true testament to the growing acceptance of diversity in Australian culture and the beauties it has to offer. The outbreak of COVD-19 has delayed the process for many new, soon-to-be citizens and Mel was so grateful to be able to welcome more Australian citizens and attend another ceremony this January despite the challenges the pandemic have created.

Congratulations to all our new citizens and here is to many more coming in the future!

Australia Day Damper

For Ned Winter and his family, making damper comes as naturally as breathing and for Australia it was no ordinary damper indeed. In an interview he gave in 2008, Ned said, "The damper will be 55 inches or one and a half metres wide with 45 kilos of flour, 32 litres of water and I might add, just a little bit of know-how."

Mr Winter and his family are seasoned camp-oven cooks. Starting life in south-west Queensland and becoming a drover in his earlier life, Ned says that back then camp-oven cooking was the way of life. After a friendly campfire competition in 1999 between Ned Winter and Gary Foggarty, the Australian Camp Oven Festival was born. It is now one of Queensland’s flagship tourism event.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the region last year as the event had be cancelled due to gathering restrictions. After facing both drought and bushfires, western Queensland did not need another economic hit. However, given the festival is a celebration of true Australian spirit, they are determined not to let this little bump in the road hold them back. The festival has been rescheduled for October 1st-3rd 2021 and we cannot wait!

Mel had the pleasure of meeting Mr Winter this Australia Day in Cecil Plains and was able to bear witness to the incredible and almost unbelievably large damper! Melissa thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with the Cecil Plains community and commemorating and reflecting on the history of our country. She wishes to pay her respects to the traditional owners of the land and their history while acknowledging their struggle with Australia Day. Melissa wishes to be an advocate for all members of our region and is excited and ready to stand with those who feel unheard.

Christmas Love with Loads of Love Appeal

The Australian charity, Loads of Love, is committed to making sure everyone, no matter their financial standing, are given a Christmas. This dream relies on the generosity of the public and some help from community-minded citizens.

The premise is simple. Loads of Love asks people to take a shopping bag and fill it with non-perishables and Christmas treats for those who are in need of a helping hand around Christmas. Since beginning 9 years ago, Loads of Love has become a trusted organization for Queenslanders everywhere to show their generosity and spread some Christmas love. It is easy and accessible, being stationed in convenient locations such as Grand Central right here in Toowoomba.

2020 was a year like no other. Many struggled financially and there was a 24% increase in the number of Queenslanders seeking food from charities. It is at times like these that community strength and togetherness are most important. Families, children, and many more people gathered together to ‘fill a bag and change a life’ over the Christmas period.

As such, 2021 was a year of great success for the organization. They supported over 10,000 Australians and 4,000 households, collecting 96,000kgs of non-perishable goods as well as thousands of dollars in grocery gift cards.

Mel Taylor feels strongly about community togetherness and as such spent some time as a volunteer at the Loads of Love stall in Grand Central over the Christmas period. Mel believes this beautiful, Aussie owned charity is a shining example of Australian generosity and spirit. Everyone, even in the hardest of years, deserves to enjoy their Christmas. Mel was volunteering at the stall when the Loads of Love hit 20,000kg! They went on to receive an incredible 28,000kg haul of goods over the Christmas period. A spectacular achievement and we are so grateful to the organization and those who donated.

 Please be sure to visit the Loads of Love website in order to learn more about this amazing organization.

Melissa Taylor and Trevor Watts showing their support at the Loads of Love stall in Grand Central over the christmas break.