A very proud moment for Community Friends this morning. Some of our volunteers have been awarded an Australia Day award for service to our community. We know this is a controversial date for many but we stand proud to be recognised for the hard work our charity does and will utilise this opportunity to call out for help.We work hard every day to ensure no one goes hungry in West End and beyond. People are travelling from further and further afield to our free grocery and meal giveaway on Wednesdays in Bunyapa Park, West End at 3pm. We supply emergency food parcels 24/7.We receive ZERO government money.We are trying to raise money to purchase food donations bins to be placed in and around Brisbane.We desperately need the funds to buy a truck with a hoist to deliver these bins.We need sponsors for the bins.We need locations.We need volunteers to source sponsors and locations.Please, please help. www.communityfriends.org.au/donate or phone 0405366520 for sponsorship enquiries. (We will ensure you get plenty of credit both on social media, our website and on the bin for your sponsorship).
THE GRIFFITH AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS
The Griffith Australia Day Awards recognise volunteers who perform extraordinary or outstanding voluntary work in the Griffith electorate. The former Member for Griffith, the Hon Kevin Rudd AC, established these awards in 2000. You can find the full list of recipients below.
The current Member, Terri Butler MP, has continued the tradition while in office. For over twenty years, outstanding local volunteers have been honoured with these awards. The recipients are selected by a committee of eminent locals, and conferred by Terri Butler MP.
The 2021 recipients
The 2021 Griffith Australia Day Awards Recipients are:
Candi Kelly, Barny Barnhill, Julie Barnhill, Andrew Grace, Noel Murray, Carl McAlevey, Rodger Graf and Bernard Goodwin – Community Friends
Outstanding volunteers at Community Friends, 2021
26 January 2021
Community Friends is a local South Brisbane registered charity organisation that provides various levels of support for disadvantaged individuals in West End and greater Brisbane.
The organisation provides thousands of meals each week for free to those living on the street and on the poverty line at serious risk of homelessness. The outstanding volunteers receiving awards are:
- Ms Candi Kelly: Candi has done an exceptional job, getting the organisation’s website up and going, their social marketing up and going and enthusiastically supporting Community Friends
- Mr Barny Barnhill: Barny has become a Director of Community Friends and has spent many hours at least twice a week collecting food for Community Friends and distributing it.
- Ms Julie Barnhill: Julie (like her husband Barny) spends many hours several times a week, collecting and distributing food to people in need.
- Mr Andrew Grace: Andrew not only collects food weekly for Community Friends but he also does Community Friends Accounting Bookwork.
- Mr Noel Murray: Noel has been collecting food and distributing it several times a week for Community Friends. He has worked tirelessly to support the homeless and disadvantaged within the West End region. He has been doing this for about 7 years.
- Mr Carl Mcalevey: Carl spends a couple of days a week collecting food and distributing it for Community Friends. He has worked tirelessly to support the homeless and disadvantaged within the West End region.
- Mr Rodger Graf (Creative Cuisine): Rodger has been supporting Community Friends for 10 years through donations and other support.
Luanne Carter – Royals Netball Club
Nicole Carey – Camp Hill P&C Association
Bill Dahl – Lions Club of Brisbane Camp Hill Carindale
Jeff Croll – Brisbane Holland Park Lions Club
Chris Dawson and Tracey Olivieri – Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery
Stephanie Ford – Norman Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee
Angela Christodoulou – Queensland Koala Society
Bailey Newbold – Holland Park Meals on Wheels
The Easts Tigers Committee
Cate Vickers – Bulimba Community Centre
Ali Kadri – Charity Australia, Islamic Society of Holland Park and Islamic Council of Queensland
Linda Francis – Bulimba Hockey Club
Elizabeth Cowie – House Conspiracy and Kurilpa Futures
The announcement and the ceremony
The Awards are intended to be inclusive. The Griffith Australia Day Awards ceremony is an important event on the local calendar. In recent years, though the awards have continued to be announced on Australia Day, the awards ceremony has been held later in the year.
The Awards Committee
The awards are announced following a committee review process. The 2021 committee is Mr Craig Bowen OAM (chair), former Deputy Premier the Hon Paul Lucas, and former Councillor Ms Faith Hopkins.
Find out more
You can learn more about the Griffith Australia Day Awards, including the categories, the selection criteria, the arrangements for announcement, the ceremony and the nomination process, here.