The ‘Reconnect’
at Petrie went well. It started at around 6:30pm on the Tuesday night at Caboolture
where they had a BBQ for the homeless. I loved this, I even offered to help out
but they were all sorted. Everyone knew what to do and just done it. So I just
talked around talking to people.
Yvonne Jones
turned up with blankets and things collected by the Making a Difference (MaD) team.
They didn’t last long and more people were going to be warmer this night.
They had around
50 homeless or in need there. They done well.
Jumping into
the car Yvonne Jones and I were off to meet others to do the CEO sleep-out at
the park in Petrie.
The group of
us were sitting around this bowl which had a small fire talking about
homelessness and things that were important. Each one talking, but thinking the
same thing “It’s really and I mean really cold” haha.
I will say I
was proud to meet such great people, we had students from a TAFE, Senior
members of the Rotary Club, Business owners and even a Shoe Shiner there too.
One by one
the group started getting smaller as they huddled up into sleeping bags. As the
night started getting later I noticed every once in a while someone would walk
through or around the park. Now I started thinking of how when I was homeless I
learnt quickly NOT to sleep in such open places because of bad experiences. I
figured it’s best someone stayed up for the night and just keep an eye open.
So keeping
the fire going (Oh yes. Ha ha) I just sat there thinking of all the memories of
when I was homeless. In a way I think it changed me a bit because since then I
feel more driven to success than before, because I don’t ever want to be
homeless again.
The CEO Gang
Morning came
as did the vehicles bringing all the things to start the ‘RECONNECT’ event. About
40 organizations came from everywhere and setting up things that promoted there
services. I helped putting up the Marques and things but mostly helped Making a
Difference (MaD) because they had so much in the way of blankets, clothes and
toiletries to spread out for the event.
Now I wasn’t
going to come to an event to help the homeless without helping with clothes too
so I organized all the boxes (around 30 Boxes) of clothes to be loaded and
picked up by my mate Lee from ‘The Van That Can’ once again Lee came through
and help in such a big way even though he had to be a Caboolture at 6am, the
guy is awesome. But while I’m talking about awesome people I want to mention my
sweet mum. She noticed a stain on a shirt so she washed and ironed all clothes
in the 30 boxes, took almost 2 weeks. Now you know where I get my good nature
from. Ha ha She’s awesome.
Morning came
as did the vehicles bringing all the things to start the ‘RECONNECT’ event. About
40 organizations came from everywhere and setting up things that promoted there
services. I helped putting up the Marques and things but mostly helped Making a
Difference (MaD) because they had so much in the way of blankets, clothes and
toiletries to spread out for the event.
Now I wasn’t
going to come to an event to help the homeless without helping with clothes too
so I organized all the boxes (around 30 Boxes) of clothes to be loaded and
picked up by my mate Lee from ‘The Van That Can’ once again Lee came through
and help in such a big way even though he had to be a Caboolture at 6am, the
guy is awesome. But while I’m talking about awesome people I want to mention my
sweet mum. She noticed a stain on a shirt so she washed and ironed all clothes
in the 30 boxes, took almost 2 weeks. Now you know where I get my good nature
from. Ha ha She’s awesome.
Denise and Katherine Hoyle
Works with
Making a Difference, Not only did they have the biggest stall to hand things
out, but they did the one thing I have never thought of and that’s, as females
walked around they called them over and asked if they would like to help
themselves to a box which had tampons and ladies pads in it. That way guys and
others didn’t see them getting the items and a lot less embarrassing for them. Very, very smart.
The whole
(MaD) team work very hard all day of which I had trouble keeping up with them
myself, being up all night I think it was about 12pm lunchtime when my back was
really hurting and I just laid down on a bench for an hour.
Kirsty Richardson
I meet
Kirsty for the first time at this event, but Kirsty has been friends with me on
Facebook, Twitter and follows my blog for some time now.
I was
talking to a girl named Sue and she was telling me how she’d like to get
clothes for a baby. I walked Sue right over to Kirtsy’s table which had
toiletries and young ones clothes. That when Kirsty asked me if I was ‘Grant
the Polite Guy’ and told me who she was.
I later meet
up with Kirsty and she told me she puts a few dollars away every week and buys
from ebay in bulk just to hand out to the homeless. Ace’s in my book.
Yvonne Jones
Not only did
Yvonne stay and do the CEO sleep-out but I can say she made hundreds of calls
and meeting people to help put this all together. Then during the event she
told me how important it was to help people get back on their feet and I could
tell that the passion in her voice that there was no-way she would quit for
anything and yet not asked anything in return. Even didn’t take any credit for what
she did to help putting it together. I am proud to know her.
There were a
huge amount of people helping and I could write all day about them. In time I
will as I work with more people.
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I did meet a
girl named Sue who I got the chance to sit with and chat over a sausage on
bread. She told me how her boyfriend was fearing going to jail because of
mistakes with drugs and things. It took a few minutes to get her to talk about
herself and I must say I heard some really bad things. Nothing she had done wrong it was more that
she had gone through and going through rough times. I’d like to say we had a
good chat there and then, but a guy who drove her to the event demanded that
they go home now. He was a real piece of work. He didn’t want her to get on her
feet, he likes her right where she is. I wanted to put my size 13 boot right up
his ass. But they call me Grant the Polite Guy. Ha ha. I did get her phone
number and from that she is agreeing to chat with counsellors. I will follow up
as time goes on but the best I can do is be a friend and help get the right
people that know what they’re doing to do their job.
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Weeks ago I
mentioned about putting together a coffee cart which people from harsh
background or having trouble getting a start at work because of reasons to get
a break in life. I set up a coffee shop to do training and know all they need
to know about the business. Also 20 cents from each cup sold would go towards a
charity that helps homeless and people in need. So people getting help are
selling coffee and helping others at the same time.
I have the
machine and things but still need to get the cart. I posted that every cent
donated on my blog here would go towards it until I had enough. In the 10 days
not one cent has been donated. I must say I thought it was a good idea so I’m
still going to put the donations towards the cart until it’s paid for.
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Because a
lot of people are emailing me about different and other things then homeless, I’m
going to be writing in my first blog I started and that’s
grantthepoliteguy.blogspot.com
I’d like to
thank everyone for reading my blog and I hope you all have a great day. If you
like my idea about helping homeless or people in need please donate on the
donate button on the top left hand side of this screen.
