All coming together

I have so much to write tonight and I’m sorry if this one is longer than normal but at the end I am going to be writing about me sleeping on the streets again, that got your attention. Just grab a drink, sit back and enjoy. This post is very important to me because it’s about amazing people and our next event.

·         Making a Difference - Brisbane (MaD)

I remember I was doing a collection for someone in need and a Denise Hoyle called and said she had blankets to give to help out. Even brought them to me. (I love that bit as I don’t have a car). Well on the day Denise was talking about how she has done huge work helping flood effected people and now turning her efforts to helping homeless and people in need. That’s my kind of person, she’s Ace’s in my book. Ha ha.

Not long after Denise heard I was planning another BBQ event and I was collecting blankets and things for the homeless and offered to help using her crew from Making A Difference.  

Facebook Page July’s 100 Blankets was put together by Denise and her MaD team who are just as awesome being, Kerry Krause and Deb Boundy. Now when they put this page together they thought collecting 100 blankets would be great. Really when these 3 ladies put their mind to something about helping people then really I don’t think anything could stop them. I know they made calls drove countless Kms (Miles for U.S readers).

So for the whole month of July they have been collecting and collecting, I’m so impressed with the huge efforts which each of them have done and I can say last count I got was a huge amount being over 200 blankets, toiletries packs and things to give to the homeless. THERE AWESOME.

Just think about it, 3 ladies and friends used one Facebook page and a lot of leg work to do so much for people they don’t know.

Now July is almost over and because of the problems with Mates helping Mates I can’t put a BBQ together because I can’t legally ask for money to get insurance and for the purpose of having a BBQ for the homeless. I know it’s legal stuff. But I am setting another charity up right but it takes time.

Now when you do good in the world there’s good to be found.

I got a phone call from Yvonne Jones who told me she has followed my blog for ages (Her words. Haha) Well after talking to Yvonne she told me that she done huge work helping flood effected with Denise and many others. Now as chance would have it, Yvonne Jones has been working with others to put their own BBQ together called

‘Reconnect’ Homelessness Week Event

On August 8 at Petrie School of Arts

Sleepout for homeless. This is the same as other CEO sleepouts where they raise money to help homeless and the person gets a feeling of what it’s like to be out in the cold. In this case there asking people to buy 3 sleeping bags ($175 for 3 sleeping bags which they buy) of which you donate and there given to homeless the next morning. AWESOME IDEA.

A sleep out from 4.30 pm on the 7th august 2012 in the park next to the Petrie School of Arts will launch the activities. A sausage sizzle will be provided for participants around 7pm. Breakfast will commence about 7 am followed by setting up for the day’s events.  Local Members, CEO, Managers, staff and students are invited to bring a tent and warm clothing and participate in this event. For more details please contact Rose Butler of Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre on 0417791891 or roseb@prnc.org.au

The BBQ event commencing at 9am until 12 noon an Inter agency network forum will provide an opportunity services to discover services in our region and new referral pathways. The event will culminate with services invited to engage with people from 12.30 pm- 3 pm to deliver services which include:

Support to access identity documentation including birth certificates,

 Centrelink – support to access entitlements,

Department of Housing & Public Works – support to register for housing,

Metro North Medicare Local – free health checks and much more.

This event is going to help so many people, homeless and in need so as you can imagine I was excited when I was asked to join and help with this event. Right away I say that it seems you have so much I’m proud to even know you, what can I help with? The answer came back clothes and blankets. Now I still have injuries and of course the heart attack thing but I swear I could have done cartwheels right there and then. The MaD team have just collected a huge amount of blankets and I can get clothes by asking for them here on my blog and in the city. I couldn’t believe it, everything was coming together so well. Here was Denise and her MaD team waiting for an event to help homeless with blankets and things, then I had Yvonne on the phone telling me about an event and inviting me to join and help out where I can with the contacts I have too.

Now that is a huge ending there, but no this is my blog and the good just keeps coming. I received an email from Craig Michaels from Connected - Volunteers and Supporters They helped flood effected people as well. Now Craig’s email sent floods of memories back because it made me think about the very first BBQ event I put together. You see I was so scared I couldn’t get enough clothes and things for the homeless that I asked Craig and his team at Connected to donate clothes and things for the homeless through my BBQ. The guy was only too happy to give me more then I needed as long as it helped homeless and people in need.

I remember turning up with the van and there was pallets of things just waiting for loading and there was Craig with a huge smile and saying “Do good with this and help those that need it the most” we left with the big van loaded in the back and I was sitting on another box in the front seat with my feet on two box’s.

The guy really is a full hand of Ace’s in my book. Now this guy has helped in the thousands of people and now he’s came through again with the email saying he’d like to donate 200 more blankets and can food and things. The guy is awesome when it comes to helping. It’s no surprise the guy got a call saying he became a finalist for Pride Medal of Australia. Good luck mate.

200 more Blankets. Awesome.

Now Craig is a great man but he finds himself in a jam because the warehouses he uses he can’t use much longer. Now he is a charity and he’s looking for a warehouse to store the huge amount of things waiting to be given to people in need, prefer near railway which the owner can claim on tax because of his charity name and number. It’s another legal thing which I don’t really understand, but if you have a warehouse or large storage available please call and ask Craig about it and I’m sure he’ll explain all about it. 32671629. Sometimes people that help others need help to continue, so if you can please help. Tell him I sent you and I might get a beer out of it. Ha ha

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Now for a short while now I’ve been trying to put a new idea together where it’s a coffee cart on a floor of the BOQ building and there’s going to be two people working it. One making the coffee’s and the other racing it to people office’s (Right to their desk and boardrooms). Now the reason I’m putting this together is because I’m wanting to help people in need with jobs.

I have a coffee shop saying they will do all training and explain everything about what they need to know in a way of getting on their feet. You see I figure if I can set a business up where I not only help people off the streets but helping them to learn and train how to work and even giving them a job to work and stay or just get the experience. (Paying them better then award).

Then I thought even better, After I have set the charity up I could set it up so that a percentage of per cup sold gets donated to the charity to help more as well. So the idea is, I help people off the streets or just in need and train them and offer a job to help them get on their feet and part of the profits go to a charity which helps even more people. People who have gotten help working and helping people to get help.

Now with my contacts that I have now so far I have machine , beans, cups and things but I need one of them carts for the whole thing to go one. Now I have priced one and there $12,000 new. But I know a guy which I can’t wait to write about later, well he’s dad can make one if I buy materials for it. About $2,500.

So from right now I’m donating all money I get from my donations from writing here until I get enough to pay for the cart and things needed. You know that yellow donation button at the top left. Now I normally say that I help people to help themselves, well now I’m saying I’m helping people to help themselves and then others in need too.

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At the start of this post I said I was going to be sleeping on the streets. I am doing the CEO Sleepout too. My sleeping another night on the streets is going to help 3 homeless people with sleeping bags and while I’m there I’ll maybe inspire someone. Please think about joining me and contact Rose Butler of Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre on 0417791891 or roseb@prnc.org.au

Really there asking people to sleep one night out (which is safe) to help many that do it every night.

Thank you for reading my blog and as I like saying in life “Please share” there’s a little blue F for sharing on Facebook and a little T for sharing on Twitter.

I hope you all have a great day/night and if you like my stories, please feel free to donate on the Donate Button up top left.

Grant the Polite Guy

Twitter- @grantpoliteguy

Facebook and email- grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

P.S Sorry for the extra long post.