Agency News

As our thoughts turn to Christmas, we reflect on the importance of family and community in our lives. At UnitingCare Australia we are also putting a spotlight on the harm to families and communities that is caused by poker machine addiction. We encourage to you to find out more about this important debate by visiting our website www.unitingforchange.org.au. Australians spent ...

RESIDENTS, STAFF and friends of Blue Care farewelled one of the not-for-profit organisation’s most historic aged care and retirement living services at a thanksgiving and decommissioning service last week. The thanksgiving service was held in acknowledgement of the past and present residents, employees and patrons of Blue Care Southerden Lodge Aged Care Facility and Retirement Living at The Grange. Blue ...

LIFELINE AUSTRALIA and UnitingCare Community, in Queensland, is supporting the efforts of the Cycle 4 Life team who cycled 1600kms, from Canberra to Brisbane, to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention. Canberra locals, Philippa Seldon and friend Gary Lilley, completed their epic journey at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens on 10 September after stopping at Lifeline Broadbeach on Thursday 8 ...

A SPECTACULAR display from Townsville’s Shalom Christian College students sent the crowd wild at the 19th Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival in late June. The comic ‘Chooky’ dance broke from the largely traditional performances at the three-day, biennial event attended by around 5000 people. Dressed in funky outfits the students performed their own version of the contemporary Indigenous dance. The ‘Chooky’ ...

OVER TWO hundred Christians gathered in Canberra from 17-20 September to share their concern for the poor with the nation’s political leaders. The annual Voices for Justice gathering, an initiative of Micah Challenge Australia, saw Christians from all over the country speaking directly to politicians about achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. Two Queensland Uniting Church members present were Andrew ...

After twenty years of travelling across the Asia-Pacific region spreading seeds of peace, the founder of Young Ambassadors for Peace (YAP), Uniting Church Peacemaker, Joy Balazo had indicated an intention to retire. Joy has decided it’s time to ‘dirty her hands’ in the soil of her home island of Mindanao in the Philippines. On this International Day of Peace National ...

WASTED FOOD is a natural result of the hospitality industry, but OzHarvest Founder and CEO Ronni Kahn decided that she could not stand by and watch as the twin problems of food waste and hunger co-existed. After researching options for dealing with food waste and coming up empty, Ms Kahn decided to start up a food rescue charity herself. November ...

BLUE CARE will unveil a special garden to kick off this year’s Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, with the official opening of the Minna Murra Sensory Gardens on September 16 at 11am. The gardens won the 2011 Hospital, Nursing Homes and Retirement Village category in the renowned Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers competition. Winners were announced last night. Soft petals to touch, bright ...

IN LATE July the John Thomas Wilson Endowment managed by Perpetual presented Blue Care with $150 000 for a project which aims to reconnect men with their communities. Under the Boyz Toyz project, a shed at Blue Care Ashgrove Respite Care will be transformed into a men’s shed for the over 65s – complete with television, billiard table and a ...

FROM MID August many Lifeline Community Care Queensland services became known as UnitingCare Community. The change of name will more accurately reflect who the organisation is (part of UnitingCare Queensland and the Uniting Church) and provide transparency for stakeholders and clients. UnitingCare Queensland CEO, Anne Cross, informed Journey that there will be no change to services and the Lifeline brand ...