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‘Each story is different but each also has similarities – being lied to, mistreated and forced to do things that I would never want to see happen to anyone!’ We hear from Kristi, a former Sacred Heart student and Christian College teacher, who relocated to India to found Offspring, a not-for-profit organisation working with young women rescued from sex trafficking.

‘The magnitude of sex trafficking in India is huge and what these girls go through is horrific. We see women and children who have been bought, sold, traded and stripped of the most basic of human rights. We see them abused and treated as a commodity, rather than a dignified human being; someone’s daughter (their “offspring”), sister and friend. We see young women who need our help urgently.

Continue reading “Offspring, India, Kristi” →

‘If you’ve gone to your fridge or cupboard and haven’t got enough food to put a meal on the table for your family that night, we can help out, judgement-free.’ We’re talking to Tina Taylor, Founder of Spare Meals Geelong, an emergency food relief program for low to no-income families.
‘I’d been home for a few months after having a baby and was looking for a project. After scrolling through a Facebook group I had noticed a woman offering up a tub of fried rice. At this stage there were no food sharing pages. So I suggested there should be, I started a Facebook page “Spare Meals Geelong’ and encouraged people to join, including the woman who had originally offered up the tub of rice.

Continue reading “Spare Meals Geelong, Tina” →

(2/2) ‘At present We All Rotate is sponsoring 8-10 children in the village right at the epicentre of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, providing educational expenses. Sometimes we support their families with recourse for securing jobs and rent. On the next trip in October I hope to identify up to 50 more children and families from remote areas close to the epicentre, again focusing on education, resources, clean water, vocational training etc.

Just consider that since the earthquake an estimated 15,000 children have been trafficked. Their families get tricked. Someone tells them they can place the kids in hostels in Kathmandu where they will attend school, then they are trafficked away.

Continue reading “We All Rotate, Nepal, Steve” →

(1/2) Steve Beatty survived the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015- over 8,000 Nepalese did not. This event changed his life forever. ‘In 2012 I trekked in Nepal with my daughter and fell in love with the place. I returned many times. Last year I was back there with my guide who is a friend, almost at basecamp on Everest, when we had to turn around due to poor weather and visibility. That was when the earthquake struck. I couldn’t believe what was happening. At first I thought perhaps I had altitude sickness but then realised there was an avalanche crashing down to our right and another one to our left. It was a miracle that we survived.

Continue reading “We All Rotate, Nepal, Steve” →

Bill Dickson laughingly says, “I think I was a Karen in a former life.” How else can he explain his deep commitment and appreciation for the Karen people he has met in Thailand, Myanmar and Geelong? When Bill stays at Mae Lid school in Mae Hong Song Provence in Northern Thailand to support the school with a variety of projects, he sleeps in a tiny hut that the community built for him. He happily lives a simple and frugal life just like the staff and students. Bill spends about half his time each year in Barwon Heads and the other half in Thailand and neighbouring countries, increasingly in Myanmar.

Continue reading “Mae Lid School, Thailand, Bill” →

(2/2) ‘One of my favourite moments since starting Peace of Mind was to witness the wonderful connections and friendships that were forged by the Women’s Retreat for Brain Cancer we hosted last October. (Pictured below) I was overwhelmed by the incredible volunteer response we had from the local community (especially Torquay). Within 24 hours of a simple Facebook post we had over 35 female volunteers signed up to assist with the retreat. We had professional hairdressers, make-up artists, massage therapists, nurses, counsellors, catering companies all donating their time or services to make it a truly memorable event. We brought together close to 50 patients/carers who were mostly strangers, and by the end of the weekend many of the women walked away with life-long friends who all share in a common experience; brain cancer.

Continue reading “Peace of Mind Foundation, Part 2.” →

(1/2) Caroline passed away from brain cancer not long after the birth of her son Benjamin. Her husband, Clinton Matthews, and his sister, Rebecca Picone, started the Peace of Mind Foundation, a Geelong-based not-for-profit organisation in December 2013. We hear from Rebecca.

‘Clinton and I felt very passionate about helping other families diagnosed with brain cancer because of the struggles and lack of support he and his family had faced. Our main aim was to start a charity that would help fill a void in supportive care for this particular cancer type and raise public awareness of this insidious disease. We provide financial, emotional and practical support to brain cancer patients and their families.

Continue reading “Peace of Mind, Rebecca” →

‘You should see the look on their little faces!’ PCs for Kids.- Computers for children in need, saving the planet, work for the dole and upskilling opportunities. Donate your old computers now! How does it work? Your old laptop or computer gets wiped with the hard drive being shredded clean, then it is dismantled, reconditioned and rebuilt. It may take six computers to rebuild one, with about 150 computers going to new homes each year.

Continue reading “PCs for Kids.” →

‘When someone needs helping, you just do it but sometimes it keeps you awake for a while afterwards.’ Neil has been part of the Winchelsea SES Unit for 8 years. He has 3 children and 4 grandchildren and a sausage dog as well as a full time job. Yet he finds the time and energy to give back. He says it is about making him feel good by helping others.

‘The SES evolved from the old Victorian Civil Defence Organisation which began in 1950. It is manned by volunteers and helps with a wide range of activities. There might be trees over the road, or road accidents where sometimes we’re the first at the scene or we have to cut the casualty out. We have lots of training to help us deal with these situations. Often jobs can take several hours. When someone needs helping, you just do it but sometimes it keeps you awake for a while afterwards.

Continue reading “SES Neil” →

‘It is all about connectedness.’ We hear from Pam Morrison one of a small group who have trained to facilitate ‘Welcome Dinners’ in Geelong. Geelong will host its first ‘Welcome Dinner’ on September 24th. ‘Welcome Dinners’ have been very successful in all capital cities in Australia, but have only recently spread to regional towns. Bendigo was the first Victorian township to host a very successful community dinner recently, with 150 attending.

‘The initiative comes under the umbrella of the joiningthedots organisation, which is based on the belief that we can all build connections that bring about the changes we want to see in the world.

Continue reading “‘Welcome Dinners’, Pam” →