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.
