MPowered Destiny Rescue Girls Home

I would like to thank Club Cares for their generous donation towards the MPowered Destiny Rescue Girls Home.

I had the privilege of being on an MPowered Experience Destiny Rescue team who travelled to Thailand earlier this month.

The purpose of the trip was to see first hand the work that the Destiny Rescue teams are undertaking to save the children who are caught into the sex trafficking trade, and to also go and visit the MPowered Destiny Rescue Girls Home.

This home has been a project we have been contributing towards for the last twelve months and it was exciting to get to see it and to see how happy the girls were that were living in it.  We have a goal to get ten homes which will keep a lot of children safe and we have been advised that our fund raising has now resulted in a second MPowered home for the girls which is an awesome result!

One of the photos was taken on the steps of our inaugural MPowered Home and I am pleased to say in the photo (from left to right) is Mia Munro (International Speaker) who created the MPowered Vision for the homes, Tony Kirwan (who is the Founder of Destiny Rescue) and myself (Pam Fallon - Support Member TIC).

Destiny Rescue saves and protects vulnerable children in many ways and have dozens of safe homes in 5 nations with thousands of children now living safely.  These children have been rescued from brothels and red light districts.

For more information go to www.destinyrescue.org to find out how you can help.

Regards
Pam Fallon

Caroline Chisholm Special School

The Ford Branch took time out over the 2010 Christmas break to fundraise for Caroline Chisholm Special School by holding a BBQ at Bunnings, Bankstown.  The money assisted in purchasing interactive whiteboards for the school.

Caroline Chisholm Special School provides educational outcomes to students with moderate to high support needs.  In 2010, 89 students were enrolled at the school and they are reliant on community based fundraising activities to provide all but the basic necessities for both their intellectually and physically disabled students.  Students attend the school from kindergarten until usually 18 years of age.

With an enrolment of only 89 students the P&C struggles to organise school based fundraising since each of the parents is dealing on a daily basis with the struggle of raising a disabled child.  Previous community fundraising has finally enabled the school to construct some outdoor play equipment but it is in the area of education technology that the school is lacking.  Many of the students cannot use a normal keyboard and require touch screen computers and interactive whiteboards but the cost of these is beyond school budget.

White Family

Phil and Christine White are the carers for their grandson Aaron, an 18 year old boy who was born with Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis and Hydroencphalitis.  Phil and Christine as grandparents have taken on the role of Aaron’s carers/parents but consequently their role as grandparents has been compromised.  Phil was diagnosed with cancer in October last year and was required to go to hospital in Perth for confirmation of the diagnosis and has undertaken Chemotherapy in the Albany Hospital and as at 9th December he also has DVT in his left arm.  This treatment has taken place whilst still caring for Aaron, who also requires visits to Perth for specialist appointments.  The White family was helped by the Rotary Club of Mt Barker to purchase a van with wheelchair access.  Unfortunately this is a manual van which Christine cannot drive.

In more recent times Phil was required to travel to Perth for his oncologist appointment.  Their personal car had broken down but fortunately PATS paid for his flights to and from Perth.  If this had not happened he would have had to cancel his appointments.  Phil than had to have Radiation treatment last month and was staying at Crawford Lodge.  Christine was unable to stay with him as Aaron still needs caring for.  They were hoping that Aaron would attend a Rotary camp which would enable Christine to spend some time in Perth with Phil.

Since their car broke down they had managed to find enough money from their super and everywhere else to purchase a second hand Subaru Forrester which is automatic and can transfer Aaron very easily into the car and stow the wheelchair.  They could not afford insurance.  They have even used some money in a jar that Christine had put aside to fix their teeth.  They needed to fix the gear box on the old car so Phil could have it in Perth while Christine had the newer car at home with Aaron.

The White Family are proud people who up to 12 months ago would not ask for help from anyone, not even their church.  They have a house, which Phil is the owner builder that has been put on hold due to a lack of finance and time with looking after Aaron and now this health problem.

The former JBC branch fundraised at their Christmas function and also had attendees generously contribute towards two large boxes filled with goodies that were presented to the White Family.   A local SM, heavily involved with cars, offered to source a gear box for the White’s vehicle and have someone to fit it for them.
 
Club Cares donated $4,000 to the White Family.

Joshua Cincini

Club Cares was able to purchase a new Body Splint for Joshua Cincini.

Joshua is a little boy who is affected by a rare genetic disorder known as Schinzel-Giedion syndrome.  His condition is rare – there are only several dozen cases known of worldwide.  Joshua suffers from poorly functioning and obstructed kidneys, a failure to thrive, seizures and mental retardation.  Joshua needs to be connected to a feed pump at all times and he must be positioned so that there is no possibility of him becoming tangled in the line or accidentally dislodging it.  Physically, Joshua is unable to sit up independently – he can hold his head up himself, but he does not have enough strength in his trunk muscles to support himself.  He is developing a scoliosis which is of concern as it can lead to significant pain and can compound with his already poor postural strength.

To assist Joshua in developing strength through his trunk (pelvis, back, neck and shoulder muscles) and to prevent his scoliosis from deteriorating, he was in need of a Second Skin postural suit.

Jocelyn De Iulio

Club Cares assisted in purchasing a Squiggles Supine Standing System for Jocelyn De Iulio.

Jocelyn is 3 years old and has a very rare condition, Migrating Partial Epilepsy of Infancy.  Jocelyn has multiple and complex support needs and children with her diagnosis have a shortened expected lifespan.

She has pervasive motor, language and cognitive delays and a severe movement disorder with dystonia.  Jocelyn is currently having on average 20-30 seizures a day which impact her alertness, mood and motor control.  She has been hospitalized numerous times over her short life and has recently had a baciofen pump inserted to help reduce her muscle spasms/dystonia.  Jocelyn is gastro intestinally fed via a PEG and requires full time care with all daily routines, play and movement/positioning.  She is also presenting with a scoliosis of her spine and other possible orthopedic issues.

It is only recently, that supported, specialised equipment is starting to be useful and beneficial for Jocelyn.  It is imperative that the most appropriate equipment is provided for Jocelyn to use.

The Standing System required was trialled with Jocelyn and has been assessed to be appropriate and beneficial for her.  She stood comfortably in this and was able to start to turn her head to look at toys/people.  This system provides an opportunity for weight bearing through her lower limbs which is essential for her bone and joint development, as well as the opportunity for sustained stretching of her hips, knees and ankles.

Jocelyn’s Mum explained that this standing system will help Jocelyn be able to interact with her parents and her little sister.  The standing frame will also help her hip development as they have deteriorated due to lack of being able to stand.

Nathan Handley

Club Cares donated $5,000 towards 12 weeks of intensive rehabilitation for Nathan Handley

In November 2008, Nathan Handley (then 17 years old) went over the handlebars of his bike, breaking his neck at C6 and C7, immediately suffering quadriplegia.  Nathan spent a week on life support in ICU and finally came out of hospital in April 2009, with medical experts advising him not to expect to walk again.  At no stage has Nathan stopped trying to prove this prognosis wrong and he has made steady gains ever since.

Nathan’s story is truly inspirational –  Click here to view (youtube file)

Nathan made great gains attending WALK ON in Brisbane.  Although he cannot yet walk, he does now control the movement of the step motion or crawl motion by pulling his leg through, but still with some assistance.  Nathan participated in the final stages of the Bridge to Brisbane in 2009 where he was determined to walk as he crossed the finish line.

Nathan is now enrolled in Project Walk in Carlsbad, USA for 12 weeks of intensive rehabilitation commencing 21st March 2011.  There is no state or federal funding for such rehabilitation programs and Nathan’s family, friends and well-wishers have dug very deep into their pockets to help assist Nathan in his goal to walk again.  The total cost for the 12 weeks intensive rehab in the USA is approximately AUD$30,000 of which they have already raised $20,000.

Project Walk is an internationally recognized rehabilitation and recovery centre helping people with spinal injuries learn how to walk again.  It is the only organisation offering this type of specialised intensive recovery programme with a proven track record.  They trained the recovery specialists that have been working with Nathan at Walk On in Brisbane.  Walk On has only been operating in Australia for 2 years whereas Project Walk has been operating for over 11 years and developed the programme and can offer much more intensive and specialised help.

Brian Gore

On Sunday 7th November 2010, Brian Gore (TIC Member) took part in the Sydney to Wollongong MS Bike Ride in order to raise funds for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS is the most common disease of the central nervous system and affects more than 20,000 Australians.  Did you know that MS is a disease affecting more young Australians than any other neurological condition, that the average age of diagnosis is just 30 years, and that MS affects three times as many women as men.

MS Australia aims to minimise the impact of multiple sclerosis on all individuals affected by the disease, as well as their families, carers and the community, by offering a wide range of services, equipment and support.  MS Australia’s goal is to assist everyone affected by MS to live life to their fullest potential and secure the care and support they need, until we ultimately find a cure.

Club Cares donated $250 to Brian and this very worthy cause.  In total, over $4M was raised for Multiple Sclerosis.

Cindy Tran

Access Ramps for the Tran family home were donated and Club Cares was also able to provide funds towards a wheelchair for Cindy Tran.

Cindy, a 5 year old girl, was admitted to hospital with a viral infection in July.  During her admission she suffered a hypoxic brain injury secondary to cardiac arrest.  This hypoxic episode has resulted in Cindy having a severe and permanent acquired brain injury.  As a result of this permanent injury, Cindy has no active movement in her arms or legs and she requires maximum support.  Her illness has placed considerable financial, social and emotional strain on the family.  Her father currently works and her mother is on maternity leave (a baby was born only 6 weeks before Cindy’s incident) and now her mother is unable to return to work – she is now Cindy’s fulltime carer.

The Wheelchair that was recommended for Cindy was trialed and proved to be the most appropriate with accessories and supports.  Cindy’s new wheelchair is now making a huge difference to her life.  She has been able to leave the Monash Children’s Centre and return home to her family.

Sarah Latjor

Club Cares purchased a ‘Gravity Chair’ for Sarah Latjor.

Sarah is 13 years old and has a rare Metabolic disorder called Cytochrome C Deficiency which causes progressive physical and intellectual deterioration and seizures.  Four years ago she was able to crawl, sit independently and walk with assistance.  Her condition has now progressed to the point that she has severe scoliosis, arm contractures and no active movement apart from some kicking in her legs.  She is frequently hospitalised with epilepsy, persistent vomiting and chest infections.  Her father has had to move two hours away from the family home for work as he was unable to obtain work in the city and Sarah’s mother is her full time carer, and looking after six other children including a 15 month boy has put a huge financial strain on the family.  Sarah was spending a large amount of her day in her bedroom as a beanbag in the family room does not provide the support that she requires, and she is unable to sit in her wheelchair all day.

The Gravity Chair suits Sarah perfectly and has greatly enhanced the quality of her life.

Grant Williams

After many fundraising efforts for Grant Williams in 2010 by Nancy Watson (BM) and Jill Reid (PMC Member), $2,079.30 was recently donated to his widow, Marcia and their two young children.  Club Cares also matched the amount raised.

Grant Williams had suffered from brain tumours, infections, meningitis and a collapsed lung, and due to the complexity of many surgeries he lost hearing in one ear, was unable to swallow and all his facial muscles were affected, and he could not talk or open his eyes.  He made amazing progress after 4 months in rehabilitation and after coming to terms that is was highly unlikely that he would walk again due to balance issues and being partially paralysed, he very sadly passed away in August, at the age of 38.

All money that had been raised will now help his widow, Marcia assist their children with whatever they need in the years to come without their dad.

Horizon Foundation

In October 2010, 25 TIC members met for a charity breakfast with Barry Seabrook (BM) at the Darwin office.  There they held an auction and raised $600 with Kevin and Kathy Young matching this amount to bring the total to $1,200.  Club Cares donated this money to Horizon Foundation to assist in purchasing some much needed items from their Wish List.

Horizon Foundation is a leader in the field of disability services in Queensland and Australia.  In 2007, the foundation was honoured with an Australia Day Award for 25 years of service to the community.  Horizon is a not-for-profit organisation catering to the needs of people with a disability.  They have over 90 clients accessing over forty programs each week.  Some of the programs are in the centre and some are out in the community.    Their direct Support Employees and some of the clients often provide their own equipment for all to use but they are hoping with community assistance that they may be able to purchase some very needy items from their wish list.

Mary Cattell

Club Cares donated $600 to assist TIC Member and PMC Member, Mary Cattell who is suffering from cancer.  Mary has cervical cancer and unfortunately after numerous surgeries and treatments the cancer has spread. 

The Atkins branch are going to rebuild an old vegetable garden and plant vegetables to cultivate organically. Robyn and Ken Atkins (TIC Branch Managers) along with their team will do the labour and film the event and are in discussions with the local newspaper.

Ella Centre

Sue Todd (TIC Support Member) and her team raised $1,690 in the Great Ocean Road Marathon earlier this year and the funds are now being used to purchase a Swivel Chair for the Ella Centre in Haberfield, NSW. 

Club Cares has also donated an additional $310 to cover the entire cost of this chair.  The Swivel Chair will assist the elderly from getting in and out of vehicles.

The Ella Centre exists to provide quality programs and services to people and communities across the Inner West: particularly children, people with disabilities, older people, their families and carers, and those who have needs not acknowledged or met by others.  Based in Haberfield, The Ella Centre offers a range of services including Social Support services, Respite and Recreation services, Disability training and support services, and Carer Support and Information.  The Ella Centre provides services to those living in the Ashfield, Leichhardt, Canada Bay, Burwood, Strathfield, Marrickville and Canterbury local government areas. These services help enhance the lives of The Ella Centre’s clients, as well as assisting them in feeling part of the wider community.  The Ella Centre is supported financially by donations and grants from individuals, local councils, clubs and associations, along with recurrent funding which is received from various State and Federal Government departments.

Young House

The Grannery Branch, WA fundraised, including a Bunnings BBQ raising $470.  All money raised was donated to Young House (Albany Young Support Association Inc).

Young House provides supported crisis accommodation for young people aged 15 to 25 years who are homeless and at risk of homelessness.  Young House operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and young people can live at the refuge for up to three months.  Youth Workers encourage young people to develop independent living skills, connect with education and employment opportunities and move toward a return home or independent living.  Young House provides intensive case management to residents including referrals to and liaison with other agencies.  Referrals are accepted from agencies and individuals at short notice.  Young House is a well-respected Not For Profit Community Association which has been providing youth services since the early 1980s.

Jacob Edwards

Club Cares assisted with $4,500 for Jacob Edwards, a 10 year old age boy who has Cerebral Palsy and his family with a much needed wheelchair friendly vehicle.

The Edwards family, with the backing of Mamre Family Support and Variety had been tirelessly fundraising to purchase an Accessible Vehicle for their son Jacob.  They finally reached their goal (including Disability Services Qld contributing $15,000 towards the vehicle and $10,000 towards the modifications for a wheelchair lift). $4,500 short for the vehicle. 

Transporting Jacob was becoming a major concern to the Edwards family as Jacob moves almost constantly with a lot of involuntary movements and fluctuating tone, effecting his two brothers.  He unintentionally hits the person sitting next to him, hurting them and causing them terrible discomfort, but the Edwards family were determined to ensure that their family outings would continue.

Club Cares was able to donate the funds required and they are now purchasing this vehicle which will make a huge difference to their lives.

Billy Harris

Club Cares  purchased a Home Gym and an iPad with communication software for Billy Harris.  Billy suffered an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) from a fall off his push bike.  The fall has left him with minimum verbal communication function.  He is also semi paralysed down the right side of his body. 

The iPad together with the appropriate communication software allows Billy to express himself and achieve more independent communication as he has speech difficulties and has difficulty in communicating at home, school and in the community. 

The gym equipment provides Billy with the opportunity to strengthen his muscles and to promote the return of muscles that have yet to show return or any function.
 

William Cozis

Club Cares assisted in the purchase of a Walker for Will Cozis.  William suffered severe brain damage as a rare and most unfortunate result of a small fall whilst learning to stand up.  This brain damage left William with both physical and visual disabilities.  In order to walk independently he required a walker which allows him to gain incredible independence.  He now has the ability to walk when at kinder, home, out shopping and next year at school.  It allows him to participate in many activities without an adult assisting him to stand or move.

David Hughes

Club Cares assisted David Hughes with $2,000 worth of Flight Centre travel.
 
5 years ago, David Hughes was sitting with his children on Christmas morning unwrapping presents.  His son had received a Helicopter with a string device that when pulled the helicopter flies.  The helicopter spun off and the blades hit him in the left eye, which left him with continual chronic pains both in his head and his eye.  For the past 2 years David has been suffering severe headaches and doctors have diagnosed a blocked lymph gland behind the eye. 

For the past 2 years David has travelled from Albany, WA to Brisbane, Qld for treatment of migraine headaches. He had been referred to many pain specialists in Perth and other Neurologists.  Unfortunately no one could provide him with a solution to his pain.  Fortunately, he is able to achieve some temporary relief by visiting an allied health practitioner in Brisbane. 

There is no other place that David is able to receive the treatment and traveling to Brisbane on a regular basis has led to a huge financial burden on the family.  David needs to receive this treatment on an indefinite and more regular basis and assistance with flights from Perth to Brisbane is of tremendous help to the family.
 

Lorraine Godfrey

Club Cares purchased a motorised Scooter for Lorraine Godfrey (TIC member). Lorraine has developed a condition called cardiomyopathy and an asthma, etiology unknown, in other words she has an enlarged heart currently working at 17% accompanied with asthma.  She is under the care of specialist heart and lung doctors.  The scooter will allow Lorraine to leave her home, giving her the freedom without putting unnecessary strain on her heart by walking.

Richard Kloester

Club Cares paid for 6 months of Lymphoedema treatment for Richard Kloester (TIC Member).

Richard, husband and father of two, has terminal cancer, is unable to work and has undergone a bone marrow transplant.  He has recently had another tumour removed from his neck.  He requires Lymphoedema treatment in order to reduce the continual swelling and it also aids in the management of peripheral neuropathy in his legs. 

His therapist advised Club Cares that he requires this treatment every week for the rest of his life and the Kloester family are unable to finance this amount of treatment so Club Cares was very happy to assist.

Hayley Bennetts

Club Cares was able to assist in purchasing a Rifton Walker for Hayley Bennetts which will provide ambulation, providing extra support around her trunk and arms. Hayley is a 6 year old girl with cerebral palsy.  She has extraneous movements of her body and reduced strength and control.  for ambulation which provides extra support around her trunk and arms and can assist to maintain a better foot position, by using ankle prompts.  This will encourage independent mobility.

Lakshan Wijesinghe

Club Cares donated the funds required to purchase a new Body Splint for Lakshan, as he had outgrown his old suit and was in urgent need of a new one.
 
Lakshan, who is 6, is a twin who was born premature and has severe Cerebral Palsy which has primarily affected his motor system.  He has severe spasticity and some athetosis (inco-ordination) as well.  His method of communication is by electronic device attached to his chair, which activates with a head switch; his speech is unintelligible.  He is confined to a wheelchair most of the time and needs additional postural support to stay upright.

Since he was 2 years old, he has been wearing a Body Splint.  This helps him sit in an upright posture, which is turn means that he can use his arms more effectively and work on his fine motor skills.  It also assists in the prevention of scoliosis (spinal curvature) as he always falls to one side.
 

2010 XXXX Gold Variety Bash - Queensland

On Wednesday 28th July, The Investors Club founders and directors, Kevin and Kathy Young, and charity co-ordinator Leigh Diplock attended a Pre Bash Cocktail Dinner at Seaworld for the 21st XXXX Gold 'Port to Port' Variety Bash.  140 vehicles and 400 participants were there for the official start the following morning from the Seaworld carpark on the Gold Coast.  They arrived in Port Douglas crossing the finish line on Friday 6th August where Variety held their 21st Birthday Party of the Queensland Bash.

The Investors Club and Club Cares have provided support and were a major sponsor of the 2010 Queensland XXXX Gold Variety Bash to raise funds for Variety the Children's Charity.  As a major sponsor of this event, all 140 cars participating had a windscreen sticker featuring The Investors Club logo.

Variety, the children's charity exists to help improve the quality of life for children with special needs throughout the state. Over 10,000 children, who were sick, disabled or disadvantaged, received support from Variety Queensland in 2009. Variety raises much needed funds through exciting, creative and fun events developed by their committees to appeal to a broad range of demographics.

 

Oxfam Trailwalker - Canada 2010

Club Cares made a donation to John Kirk (TIC Member), who participated in the Oxfam Trailwalk in Canada.  The Trailwalk took place on the weekend of July 23rd – July 25th, 2010 on the Ganaraska Trail System.

Oxfam Trailwalk is the world’s greatest and toughest team challenge.  The challenge is to hike 100km in 48 hours as a team of 4.  Each team must start together, stick together and finish together.  The event is not just physically demanding, but it is also a fundraising challenge.  Each team is committed to raising at least $2,500 to make a real difference in the lives of women and girls, men and boys living in poverty in developing countries.

The fourth member of John’s team, Global Ninjas was Robert Fox – Executive Director of Oxfam Canada.  The Global Ninjas completed 100 kilometres in 25.06 hours and were the 11th team out of 135 to finish.  What an amazing effort. Congratulations to John and his team for collectively raising $5,890.83 CAD for Oxfam.

Oxfam Trailwalker - Sydney 2010

Oxfam Australia’s vision is for a just world without poverty.  Oxfam has been working with communities for over 50 years and has learnt that simply giving handouts is not the answer.  Instead, Oxfam provides people with the skills and resources to help them create their own sustainable solutions to poverty.

Kevin Bloor (TIC Member) participated in the Oxfam Trailwalk in Sydney.  The event took place on August 27th to August 29th – 100 kilometre trail through rugged bushland starting at the Hawkesbury River (Brooklyn) and finishing at Sydney Harbour (Mosman).

Kevin’s team, Sandy Bay Striders completed the 100 kilometres in 26 hours 31 minutes and were the 100th team to cross the finish line out of 497 teams that started.  Kevin and his team raised an amazing $8,325 including a donation from Club Cares.
 

Club Cares assisted the Special Education Unit of Victor Harbor High School by purchasing a Lawn Mower and Whipper Snipper which they require for their Life Skills program.  Future employment prospects for some of the students will be assisting in jobs such as gardening and laboring so they are provided with the opportunity to learn these skills.  Roy Bettison (BM – SA) and other SA branches have been fundraising for specific local community causes.  The amount of this purchase was entirely covered by the funds raised.

Club Cares has also more recently assisted Victor Harbor High School by purchasing two (2) Rainwater tanks for their Special Education Unit.  The rainwater tanks including pump and taps will have many benefits to the Special Education Unit.  The school is running a small but successful plant growing and sales program as part of their students learning program.  They wish to expand their plant enterprise and are planning a larger shade house and growing area.  The new tanks and system will allow this expansion to happen. 

A big part of their plan for their students is to promote self-sufficiency and provide opportunities for students to learn skills to assist them in future employment.  Many of their students will be dependent on a pension for their main source of income as they become elder and learning ways to supplement their pension hopefully will make a big difference to their lives.

Michelle Secker

Club Cares paid for a month’s accommodation for ex TIC employee, Michelle Secker.

Michelle had a baby on September 5th weighing 749 grams.  Michelle’s pregnancy was originally with twins however they lost one in the first trimester but at 23 weeks Michelle’s waters broke and she was in hospital for two weeks with the doctors trying to stop labour with steroid injections.  She unfortunately developed an infection so they had to deliver her baby son, Ethan at 25 weeks via emergency caesar.  Michelle was discharged on Friday 10th September, without her new son. 

Ethan, who had the doctors struggling to stabilise his blood pressure, will be in hospital for 2 to 3 months and Michelle will need to be at the hospital every day, but with nowhere to stay she will have to commute from Ipswich to South Brisbane (Mater Children’s Hospital) which is approximately 50 kilometres each way.

Michelle was looking for accommodation close to the hospital so her travelling time is limited and can be at the hospital within a few minutes if anything was to change in Ethan’s condition.  As she had a caesar, she is unable to drive for several weeks.

Club Cares paid for accommodation for a month to ease the financial burden on her and her husband, and also to allow her to be close to her son at all times.

DHITAL VILLAGE COMMUNITY CENTRE, NEPAL

Club Cares donated $2,000 to assist in the construction of a Community Centre for Dhital Village, Nepal.

TIC Members Jan and John Adcock first trekked Nepal in 1996 and a trip in 2006 reignited their love for the country.  Their visits in 2009 and 2010 cemented their desire to help the people of Nepal in some way.  When they visited their friend last year he indicated that he was now the driving force behind their Village Development Committee to have a much needed community hall built.  Jan and John agreed that they would help in any possible way.  The Pokhara Rotary Club has agreed to manage the funds and supervise the building on their behalf.

The Adcock's are currently fundraising with events, including a dinner held on Monday 30th August at Chingari Restaurant, Girls Pamper Afternoon that was held on Saturday 18th September, a Nepali Bazzar in November and a Garage Sale in December, in order to raise much needed funds and attempt to get to their goal of $18,000.

Since starting fundraising in June, Jan and John have already raised $14,000 – a fantastic effort!

Samaritan's Purse

On Saturday July 31st the Port Lincoln TIC branch held a Christmas in July function with all fundraising for Samaritans Purse “Operation Christmas Child”.  Club Cares matched funds that were raised on the night.

Samaritan's Purse is a non-profit, international Christian organisation (founded over 30 years ago) providing emergency relief and development assistance to suffering people around the world. Samaritan's Purse is meeting the physical needs of victims of war, famine, natural disaster and disease. They help provide food; clean drinking water (via wells and water filters); sanitation; housing; medical aid and much more. They provide education and skill-building classes helping people to become self-employed and thus break out of the cycle of poverty.
 
One particular project is called "Operation Christmas Child" where concerned individuals/groups pack shoeboxes with 6 gifts (something for personal hygiene; something to love; something to play with; something to write/draw with; something to wear; and something special) for a child in need. A personal note/photo is also encouraged to be put inside the box. An appropriate label for age/gender is attached to the outside of the box and a donation of $9 is sought for freight etc. These are then sent overseas to children in need where they are hand delivered to the children by representatives of Operation Christmas Child. Over 8 million boxes were delivered worldwide in 2009 with some 306,508 coming from Australia.
 
The Investors Club in Port Lincoln held a 'Christmas in July' fund raising dinner to help cover the costs of freighting boxes (when no donation is included) and to help pay printing costs for the pre-printed boxes and information brochures. 

Parkinson's SA Unity Walk

Club Cares made a donation to Vicki Bastian (TIC Member) who took part in the 2010 Parkinson’s SA Unity Walk on 12th September.

Parkinson's SA Inc. provides direct services to assist people with Parkinson's and their families in coping with management problems arising from the condition.  They provide information on Parkinson’s and community resources which are available to PWP, their families and other involved people.   They educate health professionals about managing Parkinson's, and promote public awareness through community education.  Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, degenerative neurological condition that affects the control of body movements.  It is often seen as tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement, shuffling gait, masked face and sleep disturbance.  The cause is unknown and there is no cure.

Vicki raised money for Parkinson’s SA Inc. which will help to research how this disease starts and in finding a cure.

Bridge to Brisbane August 2010

For the second year running the Young Investors Club and The Investors Club participated in the Bridge to Brisbane which took place on Sunday 29th August.

The Sunday Mail Suncorp Bridge to Brisbane is an annual fun run to help raise money for much needed charities. Over the past 12 years more than 204,000 participants have helped raise over $2.4 million for charities and this year the major beneficiary was the Heart Foundation. One of the charities included “Youngcare” which was formed to provide relevant and dignified lifestyles for young Australians with high care needs and is one of the organisations that Club Cares has sponsored in the past. The run commenced at the Gateway Bridge, Murarrie and finished at the RNA Showgrounds, Bowen Hills.  After tirelessly fundraising for this event, including holding BBQ’s on Sunday mornings and a Krispy Kreme drive, $1,075 was raised which is being divided between our nominated charities for this event – Beyond Blue and Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Great Ocean Road Marathon

On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16 May, Sue and Colin Todd (Support Members of The Investors Club, NSW), Melinda Todd (Young Investors Club Member, NSW) and David Linco (Club Loans, NSW) participated in the Great Ocean Road Marathon in Victoria as a fitness project and an inspiration to others that you need the Health and Fitness to go with the Wealth.  $845 was raised for Club Cares with Kevin and Kathy matching this donation raising the total to $1,690.

Jeff Elliott

Club Cares purchased an Agil Pro Hearing Aid for Jeff Elliott.

Jeff has hereditary deafness and as he is solely providing for his family on a low income he is not in a position financially to replace his current hearing aid which is old and less than effective and therefore misses a lot of what is being said around him.  Communication is somewhat limited with his children as he is unable to hear and their stepmother only speaks Malay.  The family counselor has encouraged a new hearing aid - this will enable greater strides to be made in getting his family to function better as a unit.
 

Karyn Coles

Club Cares purchased a Mattress Overlay for Karyn  Coles (TIC Support Member) which assists in healing and comfort by relieving the pressure that is caused by muscle wasting.
 
Karyn is undergoing a second Bone Marrow Transplant as she has relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.  She has recently spent 2 months in hospital where the Mattress Overlay assisted greatly.

Club Cares recently donated $2,000 to Hope City Mission which provided the funds purchase stock at heavily reduced costs for 4 months.  This will provide approximately 800 food hampers which include staple items such as milk, bread, pasta, sugar, butter, hygiene products such as shampoo, toilet paper, soap and toothpaste.
 
Hope City Mission assists over 900 families within the local community through various programs and heavily relies on the generosity of businesses, individuals and philanthropy organisations.  Hope City Mission provides regular assistance by providing food to individuals and families that are in real need.  They commenced an emergency relief service in February 2009 as a pilot run and due to the current economic situation and the demand from the community for assistance, as at 1st July this program will be extending this program to assist others in need in the City or Maroondah, City Knox and Shire of Yarra Ranges.

The primary goal of the Food Bank is to provide immediate assistance to those in financial hardship by giving free food and hygiene hampers.
 

Vinnies CEO Sleepout

On Thursday 17th June 2010, the Vinnies CEO Sleepout took place in capital cities across Australia.  The event challenges business and community leaders to experience homelessness first-hand for one night, raise important money, and with fresh insight go on to effect change in social opinions on this serious issue.  All money raised goes directly towards helping Australia's estimated 105,000 homeless men, women and children find the warmth, safety and dignity that they desperately deserve.

Kevin Young, founder of The Investors Club participated in this event raising a $2,615 including a donation of $1,135 from Club Cares.  The housing crisis is something Kevin is very passionate about. Australians are struggling to find affordable housing as a result of the banks’ high rate policies and the credit squeeze enforced on builders. Too many people are being forced to live on the street because of the housing crisis.

In Queensland, the St Vincent de Paul Society operates a range of accommodation services and support to help alleviate the suffering of people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.  Their goal is to offer long-term solutions that truly break the cycle of poverty and homelessness by offering people a hand up, not just a hand out.

Nearly half of Australia's homeless are women and sadly, around thirty percent are children. The flagship Families Back on Track project on the Gold Coast provides a safe and caring environment to facilitate the re-establishment of homeless parents and their children back into the community through support, education and one-on-one case management.

www.ceosleepout.org.au

Luke Hattersley

Click here to see the full Channel 7 coverage on this story.

Tegan Crick's Story

Tegan is featured on “My Story” on TV and due to the circumstances of Tegan’s accident 3 years ago, where she was sitting on her boyfriends knee in a speeding car, this resulted in her breaking her neck, all on Mothers Day, she is still in desperate need for compensation to be settled. Club Cares was pleased to be able to help Tegan by donating $10,000 for a new power wheelchair, to replace the manual chair she has been using for the last few years and also we are also to buy her a new laptop computer with speech recognition.  The wheelchair and laptop will change her live completely as she will become physically mobile and be able to become more involved in positive outcomes in life.

Conference 2010 - update

Another successful Conference, and many thanks to everyone for their support.   
 
Should you wish to purchase a quality Club Cares blue pig money box ($10) or the blue flashing luggage tag ($6), please contact me.
 
This year we raised a total of $20,611,50 - what a fantastic result and a special thanks to Amanda Gore who donated $800 from the proceeds of sales at her stall, and a big thank you to Max Walker for the autographed cricket bat, ball, cap and book.
 
Congratulations to the winners:
 
Cricket Bat - Sharyn Bojczenko
Ball - Rob Wilbow
Book/Cap - Lyn Keiller
 
All proceeds from the money raised will be split between the three nominated charities, which are:

Manna Kids, WA

Club Cares is supporting Queens Park Primary School, Perth, WA, to feed 40 students each week with  breakfast.  We will sponsor the Uniform Program at the school as many households have only one uniform  and  a  pair of shoes for  children go to school on alternate days.  The clothing program provides a Tracksuit, pair of Shoes, Socks, Parka, Back Pack and a  School Hat for each child.

Refuge Ministries - Home of Swallows, Thailand

This was established in 2007 to provide Love and support to disadvantaged mothers and babies  in response to the plight of hundreds of children orphaned, relinquished, sold and abandoned each year in Thailand. It provides accommodation, food, milk, support, education and training to the women.

Youth Insearch, Queensland

Through the 48 hour weekend programs and follow up support groups, a safe and trusting atmosphere is created for young people aged between 12 and 17 years, to help them address the reasons behind their abuse of drugs and/or alcohol; anti-social behaviour; turning to crime; lack of any motivation to obtain employment; or continue with their education. By drawing on the resources of other young people , participants are encouraged to create their own peer support network .   A typical weekend program would consist of approximately 50 young people and 10 to 15 support adults. Topics explored include communication, trust, self-esteem, parent/adolescent relationships, drug & alcohol abuse, suicide, adolescent health, sexual assault and grief.

Manna Industries
 

Manna Industries was founded by John and Bev Lowe and are solely reliant on the generosity of the public.

Club Cares is pleased to buy Manna a new van, for $23,000 which will ensure the continuation of this worthwhile program and allow Manna to grow over the next few years.

The van is used all day, everyday, from driving to the shops, schools and delivering the meals for the homeless.

Staff at Manna Industries

Peter Stewart

Peter, who is 25 and has recently moved to Brisbane, became a C5 quadriplegic six years ago when a rugby scrum collapsed on top of him and broke his neck in three places and damaged his spinal cord.

He has full movement of his head and neck but only limited function in his arms, shoulders, trunk and no voluntary movement from his chest down.

Club Cares is pleased to purchase Peter a new Quickie GTi manual wheel chair ($3,000 - $4,000), which is fully adjustable and lighter and will enable Peter to move around easier and give him more independence, this chair is also more convenient to get in and out of cars.

Peter Stewart

Sharron Peacock

Sharron has had many medical problems over the last 4 years.  In 2006 she was diagnosed Thyroid Cancer, which resulted in radiation treatment and two operations; 2007 Lupus; 2008 Deep Vein Thrombosis; 2008 a mass was removed from her uterus; 2009 melanoma on leg with DVT; 2009 Melanoma site became infected and Sharron needed a skin graft.

She now has unstable INR levels which needs constant testing, which has resulted in Sharon’s veins no longer being able to withstand the tests, and requires a CoaguChek machine so she is able to do a skin prick test which is much less invasive, and will make a world of difference to Sharron.

Club cares has donated $1,500 to Sharron which will enable her to purchase the CoaguChek machine and related dressings/strips:

CoaguChek Meter $1,045.00 including GST
CoaguChek strips, pack of 24 - $170.00
Lancets, pack of 50 - $7.80
Dressings - $47.00 each

Sharron Peacock with her Father.

 

Gavin Sceney, Victoria

It was 6 months of hard training and no alcohol, but the end goal was totally worth it. Running down the finish chute, and hearing the words “You are an Ironman” made it all worthwhile. Anything is possible if you want it badly enough.

In my first Ironman event, I crossed the finish line in 388th position, in a time of 11:29:34, and 11th in my age group. I am very grateful to the Investors Club, and in particular, would like to thank Club Cares and the Galway branch for donating $1,500 to World Vision Australia, which goes to help one of their Australian based early childhood programs. Through donations alone, $4,000 was raised for WVA. Gavin Sceney Member of the Galway branch"

Irwin Vale, Victoria

After reading an article in her local paper about Irwin Vale, Dianne Caldwell a TIC Member, contacted Club Cares with Irwin's story asking if we would be able to assist him.

Irwin Vale was following his life-long dream to become a pilot, he had attained his Commercial Pilots Licence and Instructor Rating and had accepted a job in Nadi, Fiji. Four months later, on 27th July 2008 a police driver failed to give way, hitting his scooter side-on and sending him flying, fracturing his C3, C4, and C5 vertebras and consequently he sustained a spinal cord injury. He was transported to Melbourne for surgery, and had no idea what he was in for, what a quadriplegia was, how drastically his life would change, or what emotional, let alone financial cost this would bring.   Due to the fact that he is completely uncompensated, his stay at rehab was 13 months long, but Irwin said this also showed him the positive effect intensive exercise could have on his recovery. Upon discharge, and to this day, he still requires daily support for personal care. 
 
Irwin was told he would never walk again, but he is defying the odds and twitch by twitch, millimetre by millimetre, movement has began to return and thankfully he can walk short distances with a frame, and is getting stronger and fitter every week. One of Irwin's many goals is that his balance will be good enough to use crutches unsupervised.
 
Club Cares is pleased to be able to assist Irwin in his rehabilitation by donating $10,000 towards special equipment by recently purchasing a Body Craft Access Xpress, a piece of gym equipment designed specially to help build strength and balance.
 
Irwin said   "Life is a struggle, but I know there is only one way to overcome the hurdles before me and reclaim my prime, my youth, my career, my independence. Therefore, I am truly humbled for the support Club Cares is showing in helping me do this. I will be able to continue working hard towards my goals, long after the community therapies back away. Thank you!"

 

The Shauni Bow Foundation

Recently $1,000 was donated to "The Shauni Bow Foundation”. ($500 was kindly donated by Phil and Judy Hill and $500 from Club Cares).  
 
In October 2009, Shauni Bow, a 17 year old Year 12 student from South Australia and an aspiring elite basketballer was diagnosed with Non-Metastatic (localised) Ewings Sarcoma, which is the second most common type of childhood bone cancer. Shauni has been playing basketball for 11 years and is a current member of Sturt Sabres Basketball Club and also a scholarship holder at the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI).  
 
A large tumour has grown into the soft tissue area of her abdomen, originating from the Pelvic bone. Her treatment will involve chemotherapy, radiotherapy and possibly surgery. She has undergone intensive chemotherapy for the last three months where she was in hospital every fortnight on rotating 2 and 6 day stays. At the conclusion of chemotherapy, Shauni underwent a range of tests and scans to determine the effect of chemotherapy had on the tumour. Her surgeon was very pleased that the tumor had shrunk to 8cm.
 
She is booked for surgery on the 27th of January, where the top part of her hip bone will be removed and replaced with a mass which is moulded to her shape. Everyone is hoping that the cancer doesn't spread and the doctor said she may be able to play her beloved Basketball again. The funds raised so far are approximately $40,000, which has been a tremendous relief to the Bow Family, (parents Leesa and Lynden and her three sisters), as Shauni's mum has not been able to do her normal hours at work, so they have suffered a loss of income, as well as all other related costs. 
 

Nikki, Shauni and Lynden - Shauni's Father

Cheque being presented to Shauni by Nikki Hill (Phil and Judy's daughter).
 

Donation Pays for a Specially Designed Pool to Assist Luke Quintano

In July 2009 Kevin Young was watching A Current Affair, in this particular edition they covered the story of Luke Quintano. Kevin immediately wanted to offer his assistance and contacted ACA for further details and then passed these to Club Cares to follow up.

Here is Luke's story.

"A Big Thank you to Kevin and Kathy Young and Club Cares for their generous donation of $50,000 to install a specially designed Pool for Luke" - Stephen Quintano, Queensland.
 
While trying to keep the peace when a scuffle broke out on the dance floor Luke was shot in the back of the head, he has brain damage, lost his eye and could not walk or move his right side of his body and lost the ability to speak and had to spend 9 months in intensive rehabilitation.

He was awarded compensation from the Night Club's insurance company but the company went under. Luke and his family have tried to sue the night club but the owner has passed away. The Quintano family were awarded $4 million but there is no one left to pay it out and the attacker had fled to Lebanon, so no one is being held accountable.
 
Luke requires 24 hour care which his father is doing, and the installation of the pool will assist with Luke's rehabilitation which will obviously be on a long on-going process.

Club Cares donates $1,000 to RescueNet, Indonesian appeal.

In late September 2009 Indonesia was struck by an earthquake 57km southeast of the city of Padang in West Sumatra followed by a second earthquake. On 1 October a further earthquake struck in neighbouring Jambi province.

Over 60 people lost their lives, almost 300,000 houses were either destroyed and damaged.

RescueNet, an internationally recognised disaster response team, flew to the country's aid to provide vital assistance in the days immediately following the disaster. Greg & Kay Brien, The Investors Club Members, NSW approached Club Cares to support RescueNet's efforts whilst Kay herself flew to Indonesia to provide vital medical support. Club Cares responded with a $1,000 donation to RescueNet to assist with their efforts.

"There is a huge task ahead for Indonesia to rebuild what has been lost." said Kay Brien on her return.

The team and UN Drivers

Kay and all the members of RescueNet are volunteers. They provide all funds for travel, accommodation and supplies. This trip was less than two weeks and occurred in conjunction with the Tsunami in Samoa. RescueNet needs your support to help the rising victims of international disasters. Please contact Kay on brien7@yless4u.com.au

Glide Family, Victoria

Recently a family from Diamond Creek, Victoria had been dealt a tragic blow – Kerry Glide (aged only 45), wife and mother of 3 girls had been diagnosed with a fatal motor neuron disease. Kerry has been fighting this shocking disease for over 18 months; she has very little time left.

Unbeknown to the family, a group of 4 friends got together to try and raise money to take some pressure off the family. A fundraising night was held at the local community centre with over 200 people attending. Many items were auctioned, games were played, plenty of dancing was done, and a fantastic night was had by all. As a result of our combined efforts, we raised over $27,000 for the Glide family! As Kerry’s husband is self employed, the money raised has enabled him to stay home from work, to spend their final months together.

The Glide’s are a very private family who would never ask for help. Kerry has always had one wish, that’s to have her husband home with her in her final months. With the help of Club Cares who donated $1,000 and their local community, we were able to help make this wish come true.

It’s amazing what communities can do when they pull together.

Kerry lost her battle against motor neuron disease on 1 January 2010 and our condolences go to her family at this difficult time.

Learning in Laos

Recently $1,120 was donated to "Learning in Laos". This was as a result of $560.00 being raised at a recent Advanced Workshop in Newcastle, and which Club Cares was pleased to match.

Allan and Linden Perry are two Newcastle based school teachers who are actively involved in the Investors Club being in the process of purchasing their third property. On a holiday to Laos in 2008 they were appalled at the condition of classrooms in rural areas typically dirt floors little resources and poor furniture are the norm. When they met a trainee teacher on this trip they decided to help his particular village school in Meung Tueng on the Neumg Yuar river situated 6 hours from the nearest large rural centre of Luang Prabang in the centre of Laos.

Stage one was to concrete the floors on 3 classrooms, install tin on the roof and to provide furniture.

Having completed this in early 2009, stage two was a recent visit in to supply teaching resources such as reading and writing books, sports resources and craft supplies. Money raised from the Newcastle workshop and Club Cares will be used to supply much needed furniture for the additional classrooms that are almost complete. Both Allan and Linden are committed to assisting schools in this area of Laos and would like to thank the generosity of TIC members and particularly Kevin and Kathy Young for all their help in this endeavour.

'Safe House' in Aizwal, India

Following a request from Kevin Bennan, whose daughter Fiona Thomas, recently volunteered to work with WLC in India, a total of $5,000 ($2,500 from Club Cares and $2,500 from Kevin Brennan) was donated to help the Burmese women who had fled from Burma because of persecution.

The Women’s League of Chinland (WLC) are grateful for the generous financial support from Club Cares for their “Safe House” in Aizwal, India. The funds provided by Club Cares have contributed toward providing shelter to women and children who are suffering due to domestic and employer initiated violence.

The predominantly Christian Chin people from Burma suffer ongoing serious abuse perpetrated by the Burmese army and government and many of them cross the border into the state of Mizoram in India looking for refuge. Chin people however, remain at risk in India, living in dire conditions working in exploitative occupations. Many women are employed as traditional handloom weavers or live-in domestic workers, earning very low wages and living with the ongoing risk of abuse and exploitation, including rape and sexual violence, beatings, failure to receive promised wages, and other problems.

The WLC has been running a Safe House in Aizwal Mizoram, since February 2008, giving temporary shelter to women and children who are suffering due to domestic and employer initiated violence and abuse. The women and girls accommodated have shown large improvements in their physical and mental health. Some have been able to go back to their families and villages; some able to gain new jobs and set-up new lives whereas some have needed to remain for longer periods at the house.

While living in the house, the women participate in Income Generation projects, such as weaving or embroidery to raise funds to continue the running of the house and to build skills that are useful to support themselves. Women are also offered daily counselling, sport and meditation sessions to help with their mental and physical wellbeing.

Jordan Tucker, South Australia

We first heard about Jordan Tucker from Support Members Robert and Jan Parkeson. The South Australian BM's raised $1,000 and Roy Bettison generously donated $500, which was matched by Club Cares . We were pleased to present the Tucker family with a donation of $3,000 worth of Flight Centre vouchers, which will assist them in their travel needs while Jordan (8) receives care in Melbourne,  following her recent transplant operation after being diagnosed with liver cancer seven months ago.

On Friday 20 November, at the opening of Roy Bettison's new office in South Australia, Club Cares were pleased to be able to present the Tucker family with a donation of $3,000 worth of Flight Centre vouchers to assist them in their travel needs while Jordan Tucker (8) receives care in Melbourne following her recent transplant operation after being diagnosed with liver cancer five months ago.

Jordan's dad stayed with her in ICU for nine days 24/7, sleeping in a chair next to her bed and Mum is trying to keep her job and Jordan's brother at school in Adelaide, and traveling with her son when she can.

Many of the costs including travel have not been covered by private health insurance causing a considerable financial weight on the family. We hope that the funds we have raised for travel vouchers will help the family at a very distressful and expensive time, and more so, to assist Jordan to a full recovery.

On behalf of Jordan's family, Kim (Jordan's Aunt) was there to receive the cheque from Kevin and Kathy Young, Phil Hill and Roy Bettison.

Oxfam Sponsorship

Club Cares sponsored Thierry Oblin, TIC Member, who participated in the Oxfam Trailwalker held in Sydney between the 28th & 30th August 2009 in which his team managed to raise $4,000 in donations. The walk consisted of 100km to be completed within 48 hours by tea, of 4. All money raised went to Oxfam.

"I would like to say thank you very much to our main sponsor, guess who? The Investors Club (Club Cares). Number one in terms of donation money for the fundraising as well as equipment for the race. Thank to the Club for helping us on this journey as well as wealth creation through properties." Thierry Oblin

Club Cares provide Damien Patella with a Hart Walker

After reading about Club Cares, Karen Harper a TIC member from Victoria contacted her friend Wendy Patella and suggested that she sends details of Damien's situation to us to see if there was anything we could do.

Damien Patella, a three-year-old boy, was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy at seven months.
Wendy Patella, Damien’s mother, secured him a place in an early-intervention program. This has enabled Damien to start sitting unaided and saying a few words, all things Wendy was told he would not achieve.

To continue his progress Damien, required a special Hart Walker to assist him in learning to stand and walk, however, at a cost of $12,000 this was out of Wendy’s reach. Club Cares was able to provide the walker for Damien and also provided five years of servicing and adjustment so it will grow with him. Damien is now enjoying being able to stand and play at the level with the other children.

Here is a letter we received from Wendy...
 

"Firstly, I would like to thank all the generous people who made Damien’s walker possible. It has certainly opened up a new facet to his life.

Damien has spent a fair amount of time in his new walker. He will randomly take steps whilst I am encouraging him to walk. Windermere Biala our Early Intervention Support Service equipped me with a rolly chair, as pictured, so I can move Damien’s legs for him. He has the strength and the determination, but, due to the parts of his brain that are damaged, his balance and co-ordination are greatly affected. So my job is to program in the rhythm of walking into his brain by allowing his body to experience the rhythm of walking. How long this will take, we don’t know, but, I will persist for as long as it takes.

When in the walker, Damien will often stand up and fix his eyes to a part of the room, then shift his weight through his feet and from one leg to the other, this is great, he is getting a feel for “his position in space”. He is still getting used to having the freedom to stand without having so much support around his body. He also, makes us laugh, as he will look down at his feet and move them, so he now understands that those feet are his and he has control of them, which is also another great achievement.

His favourite things to do in the walker are playing catch with a large ball and dancing. We count 1-2-3 on 3 he raises his arms and we place the ball in his hands and he gives us a big smile, we say “ta” and he drops the ball to continue with the game. With the dancing we hold his hands and sing a “dance” song, and he moves his head quite enthusiastically from side to side with a huge smile on his face. He loves the freedom, safety and security he gets from the walker. He enjoys standing outside when my daughter and I are gardening and also standing with me in the kitchen.

We need to remember that Damien doesn’t turn 3 years old until 9th April, so he is still very young to be walking. Also, with his degree of global brain damage, classified as moderate to severe resulting in a global learning delay greatly affects the rate at which he develops. When Damien was fitted for the walker I read a number of articles posted on their notice board and many of the children were 4-5 years and older. So Damien is very, very fortunate to be starting from such a young age, but, it does mean we need to have more patience with him.

For about 6 weeks Damien didn’t use the walker, because each time I tried to put him in it, he had a tantrum. It would seem during that time he was developing other skills and seemed to only be able to focus on that.

I did a 6 week brushing program with him which entailed him being brushed 8-10 times per day over his body during his waking hours. This was to reduce his sensitivity and calm him. It did work to a degree, but, will be repeated after we meet the new Occupational Therapist at the new Special Development School that Damien will start attending on Feb 15th.

They are very keen on Damien using the walker at school and have had and still have a number of other children with the same walker. This is fantastic news for us. The next 2 years I believe will have a profound impact on Damien’s development due to him being able to access a Physiotherapist, OT, Speech Therapist, Psychologist and specialist teachers for 2 days a week. This is all a precursor to school.

To this day, I believe the walker has helped Damien in his overall development. Particularly in becoming aware of his own body and how it feels and what it can do. Damien is currently really enjoying the walker and is responding well to the time I have him in it, so I expect to see some more improvements in the next few months.

Kind regards
Wendy Patella"

Since the purchase of Damien's Walker he has out grown his heavy and unpractical stroller.  Club Cares donated funds towards the purchase of a new stroller which can be adjusted to accommodation him as he grow.  It is also easier to push, lighter, reclines and more maneuverable, easy to fold down and his Mum says it doesn't look like a 'special needs' stroller.

Fundraising for the Carter & Love Families
 

Most recently, Club Cares made a $2500 donation to the Carter and Love families fundraiser conducted by Valley Fitness, which held a marathon on 12 September to raise money for the two families. Glen Carter's son, two-year-old Joshua Carter, is again receiving chemotherapy for a brain tumor, meaning the previous opertaion he endured ws sadly unsuccessful.

The fundraiser is also in support of the love family whose three-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.

PMC Members Assist Typhoon Victims
 

The 5th annual PMC conference was held in Hoi An, Vietnam. During the conference, Vietnam was hit by Typhoon Ketsana, one of the worst disasters to hit the country in recent years. Ketsana brought flooding and winds of up to 144 km/h. Almost 200,000 residents had to leave their homes and the central provinces remain affected by severe flooding.

Out of harm’s way the PMC members attending the conference wanted to assist with the relief effort and joined with Club Cares to raise $15,000 to purchase 1500 food packs for the poorer communities in and around Hoi An. The food packs provided basic supplies and contained 10 kg rice, msg, oyster sauce, instant noodles and soap powder. The supplies were delivered to the PMC conference room and PMC members packed and loaded 150 packs into eight taxis.

The Investors Club in conjunction with Club Cares was the first and only group that quickly responded to the immediate needs of local typhoon victims.

Working with the Vietnamese government, PMC members and their families were able to distribute food parcels to three local communities. Amounts as small as A$10 made a big difference for the families. We are especially proud of our six PMC children who participated in helping other children who were trapped by both poverty and natural disaster.

PMC members Luc Delhaize and Truc Cao have remained in Vietnam and will be working with the parish priest Father Thang to ensure the funds are distributed fairly and to assist with further deliveries of food packs. A big thank you to all the PMC members who were at the conference who have made a huge difference to the lives of many people. It was a very moving experience.

One of the PMC members, Rob Wilbow, said ‘Once we heard of the devastation in the surrounding areas it seemed only natural to get in and assist the local people. When we visited the area and witnessed first-hand what they had gone through, it was very humbling handing out the food parcels to the local people’. ‘People were digging knee-deep mud from their homes and made us realise how lucky we were. We were pleased to be able to help the local people who were in desperate need of food.’

$10,000 donation for Liberty Swing in Red Hill

Club Cares came to the rescue in a public pledge from Variety calling for funds to install a Liberty Swing in Red Hill.  B105 ran the pledge and attracted a total of $70,455 of which $10,000 was donated by Club Cares. TIC members were pleased to see the funds being donated to such a worthy cause, as can be seen on the B105 webpage http://www.b105.com.au/shows/labratcamillaandstav/blogs//blog/liberty-swing-for-red-hill-appeal/20091008-5z3k.html

Red Hill Special School teaches 35 school age children students with most requiring specialised health support and 42 children 0 – 5 years enrolled in the Early Childhood Intervention Program. At least 35 of these children are in wheelchairs.  As the school is based on the side of a hill, Woolcock Park is utilised as an extension of the School. The swing which is located at Woolcock Park, Red Hill is now completed and the official launch was held on Tuesday 22nd June.  It is an absolute pleasure to see the children from Red Hill State School using it with such big smiles on their faces.

What Is A Liberty Swing?
Visits to the local playground as a child are cherished memories for most of us; however, the simple pleasure of swinging through the air was never an option for children in wheelchairs until the Australian invention of the Liberty Swing.

The Liberty Swing allows children in wheelchairs the opportunity to enjoy the pure fun and exhilaration of a swing.

Young people in wheelchairs rarely gain the opportunity to independently swing in a playground along with their peers. The Liberty Swing instils a level of confidence and acceptance for children as they gain the opportunity to play along with their friends and family.

 

Club Cares Member Blitz Day

On Saturday, 17^th October, a group of Support Members from the Thornburgh branch held the first Club Cares Member Blitz where a 9m x 1m long retaining wall and 3 water tanks were installed to create a sustainable, organic vegetable garden for Vicki Keenan, a TIC Member who has been fighting various forms of cancer (breast, melanoma, liver & bone) since 2001.

We arrived at 9:00am and surprised Vicki at her front door (she had no idea we were coming). With guidance from Andy from Ferngully Landscapes, we set about building the sandstone retaining wall, filling up the garden and 3 water tanks with soil, weeded the front and back gardens, found endless lost tennis balls, fertilized, mulched and planted approximately 100 seedlings of various herbs and vegetables.

At 4pm, we called it "Quit'n Time", presented Vicki with a few more gifts including 6 months worth of vitamin supplements and celebrated the day with a glass of bubbles for the ladies, some coldy’s for the boys and 3 cheers for everyone involved.

It was such a "feel good" day to have enhanced the life of not only Vicki, but also for her husband and 2 young boys.We hope this small gesture will help Vicki continue to fight and eventually win her battle against the disease and thank Vicki & Royce for allowing us into their home.

We look forward to an update on Vicki’s garden in six months time and will hopefully share in a fantastic organic garden salad.

Special thanks to Andy from Ferngully Landscapes for his guidance and Anne Condon from Usana for providing the vitamin supplements.

A big thank you for their support and muscle power – Robyn & Ken Atkins, Steve & Dale Wrigley, Deborah Walton (seedling guru), Peter Oke (resident cameraman & Director), John, Swarnie, Holly & Tia Condon.

Youngcare receives $200,000 donation

The Investors Club has established a new partnership with Youngcare, an organisation dedicated to the provision of specialised accomodation for young people with acquired brain injuries and brain diseases such as MS and motor neurons. Read this media release. Read a message of acknowledgement from Mr David Conry, Director Youngcare.

Red Cross Murray Marathon

Club Cares, along with the Victorian Branches of The Investors Club, donated $1000 each to this event in which an Investors Club Member competed.  The Red Cross Murray Marathon is one of world's longest annual canoe races and covers a distance of 404km in five days.  Paddlers travel from Yarrawonga through to Swan Hill in Victoria, Australia. Funds raised during the Marathon benefit the Red Cross allowing them to continue to provide vital community programs and emergency services.

Melbourne Members raise $1,000 for Club Cares

At a recent Melbourne workshop, TIC member John Storer, kindly donated a painting to raise funds for Club Cares. This painting was painted by John for the purpose to assist with the charitable works of Club Cares. The auction raised $1000 for Club Cares. Thank you to John and Cath Storer for your time and generosity. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank all Members and Branch Managers at the workshop for their support.

Club Investors donate to Breast Cancer Research

At the Annual Conference in Sydney, Paul Hughes (pictured), a Club Investor, made a generous donation of $4,500 to support Woman's Breast Cancer Research. Thanks you for your generous donation!

Caribbean cruise leads to $5000 donation

A chance meeting on board a cruise to the West Indies resulted in a generous donation for researchers at Griffith’s National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research (NCASCR). Corporate Relations Manager for the Paraplegic Benefit Fund (PBF) and cricket fan, Tony South was travelling to the West Indies for the 2007 test series when he met Kevin Young on board a cruise ship. Click here to read the remainder of the media release.

Snake and barramundi adorn new business walls at Eight Mile Plains

While situated in the heart of the Eight Mile Plains’ Technology Office Park where cutting edge technology is key, it is artwork based on thousands of years of tradition and culture that adorns the walls of The Investors Club. Read more...

Dragon Speech Recognition Software

The Investors Club has donated Dragon speech recognition software to Bill Dodd, a Mitchell quadriplegic and permanent resident of the Mitchell Health Service, to make it easier for him to complete his book of poetry.

The Investors Club director Kevin Young said the Dragon Naturally Speaking 9 software would enable Bill to create documents and emails by voice and use his pc completely hands-free.

“I believe donating this software to Bill will open up a whole new world for him – it can help him lead a more independent lifestyle and give him a greater sense of freedom to explore a world that was previously difficult for him to access,” said Mr Young.

“With this software, as Bill speaks his words will appear in any Microsoft Office application he chooses, plus Internet Explorer and email.

“Being able to operate his pc independently will also give Bill more privacy – something we all value.

“I think he’ll be able to do a lot of the things some of us take for granted, like surf the internet, check out eBay, get in to social networking or being a little more serious, stay up to the minute with world events. “My company likes supporting Bill, what we do every day is to help people, help them to create wealth.

The Investors Club guides and assists members to become financially independent through property investment. Membership is free and members can attend regular workshops held across Australia to learn how they can create personal wealth in a short period of time with a small initial outlay to build a property portfolio.

“We first heard about Bill through the Rotary Club of Mitchell and the Paraplegic Benefit Fund.
“This speech recognition software builds on the donation our three organisations made to Bill in early June, that was a device to turn the pages of a book, a tilting and reclining wheelchair, a laptop computer, special wheel chair switches and a remote call button.

“All of these things aim to help Bill be more independent and have more freedom because he is confined to bed for most of the day and has to rely on nurses for all of his needs.

The Paraplegic Benefit Fund is a national Australian charity that aims to reduce the number of spinal cord injuries each year and to enhance the lives of people with paraplegia or quadriplegia.
 

Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy

Mount Kenya has been recognised by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site and with a renewed commitment made by the new government of President Mwai Kibaki, it will almost certainly remain a primary world attraction for the present and hopefully for future generations.

Since 1969, the animal orphanage at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy continues to be home to countless animals that were orphaned, injured or needed special care. Many are successfully returned to the wild.

A recent PMC trip to Africa lead PMC members to visit the orphanage where they donated to this non-profit organization.

If you wish to donate please visit the site: http://www.animalorphanagekenya.org/donate.php

Club Member generously supports breast cancer research

A very worthwhile donation of $95,000 was made anonymously to breast cancer research from a generous Club member. A big thank you!

Support Members and Club Cares rally to raise much needed funds

SCV is located on former grounds of the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines sports ground in Mindolo North Township in Kitwe, Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The grounds now have a number of classrooms, a utilities shed, storage shed and some meagre accommodation for up to 70 boys.

Support Members rallied to raise funds in WA before we left. Club Cares then matched generously, ($3,620). This generous donation allowed a installation of a bore pump on a bore sunk by UNICEF about 5 years earlier.

Child Fund Sponsorship

Club Cares provides yearly sponsorship of 4 children from various areas of Sri Lanka, Philippines and Angola in need through Child Fund. This annual sponsorship benefits the sponsored child, their families and communities in these areas by raising their standard of living through health, nutrition, water, livelihood and education. By providing children with improved living conditions and enhanced opportunities, it will enable the children to realise their potential as responsible and contributing adults. This helps the child and their community achieve a sustainable and positive future.

Tender Teddies

Thank you so much to all the lovely Club Members who sent wool in early-2008 for the Trauma Teddies. The Teddies have been donated to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney. Read more...