Thank you to everyone who nominated a great cause in October. We received over 100 nominations, which made the job of shortlisting some worthy causes very tough. We took into account a number of factors to narrow the list down. This giveaway has the potential to save the winner over $4000 per year in energy savings.
We asked those shortlisted to tell us a bit more about their organisation and why they deserve to win.
THE COMPASS INSTITUTE
The Compass Institute is an award winning Sunshine Coast based Charity that supports over 150 young adults living with an intellectual and/or physical disability. Our vision is to provide an environment that supports purpose, connection and development through lifelong learning, skills-based training and meaningful vocational opportunities.
Compass is very proud to have five centres across the Sunshine Coast from Gympie to Caboolture, including a 20 acre farm at Hunchy where our Trainees (young people with disabilities) can spend their days in the sunshine learning horticulture, animal husbandry, woodworking, art, cooking skills and more. We also have a range of social enterprises providing invaluable vocational opportunities for our Trainees, including two cafes, a lawn mowing and glass cleaning business and various outlets that sell the products made at the centres by the Trainees.
Promoting healthy eating, living and being is a priority at Compass, with an aim to assisting all those part of the Compass community – Trainees, Team Members, Family and Supporters – to fulfill their potential and be the best they can be.
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KATIE ROSE COTTAGE HOSPICE
The provision of Solar Panels on our hospice will greatly assist us to fulfil our commitment to supporting and caring for the terminally ill. Our Not for Profit Charity provides professional & compassionate ‘end of life’ care in a home environment.
We are the sole operating ‘fully accredited’ community hospice on the Sunshine Coast. Our service is provided at no cost to our guests & almost all our income is generated via our op shops, community support, donations & fundraising.
This year has seen many challenges, but through it all, we have experienced a heightened sense of community spirit and I would like to record my grateful thanks for the contribution of our volunteers and supporters which has been truly amazing. This helping hand has been a blessing because all of our important fundraising events have had to be cancelled or, in the instance of our op shops closed for some months.
As I write to you we have cared for over 120 guests since commencing palliative care 24/7 service just over two years ago.
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CAYAC
CAYAC charity helps anyone who is destitute by assisting with food hampers and/or vouchers. CAYAC also provides clothing, toiletries and household items to people who are struggling financially. CAYAC operates from 92 Aerodrome Rd, Maroochydore, and are soon to open an adjoining cafe. The proceeds from the cafe will provide free daily breakfast and lunch to school children in need. It will also provide free, nutritious lunches delivered to those suffering homelessness. If CAYAC were fortunate enough to be gifted a solar installation it would save at least hundreds of dollars per month and this in turn would enable more people to be given assistance from food shortage.
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THE EUMUNDI WILDLIFE REHAB CENTRE
The Eumundi Wildlife Rehab Centre is a fixture of the Sunshine Coast Community. Started decades ago by local residents Col and Gill Brownhill and now operated by the RSPCA, our small team of staff and volunteers rely almost entirely on donations to support treatment and rehabilitation of local wildlife for eventual release back into the wild. Native animals in this region are threatened by habitat loss, bush fires, vehicle collisions, domestic animals and diseases – and our centre contributes to offsetting these impacts that humanity has on the local fauna. The installation of a solar hot water system would be a sustainable technology consistent with the centre’s values. It would help defray the centre’s energy costs, and would be a direct benefit to the local wildlife by providing a cost-effective source of heated water to use for the extensive care and cleaning required on a daily basis.
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STU & MEA CRAN, MAROOCHYDORE
Hi, my name is Stu Cran. My wife, Mea and I would really value this solar system. Let me give you a few reasons why.
We are community minded
I have been a youth worker for over 32 years. I have been working at Mountain Creek SHS as Chaplain for over 15 years. As a family, we have regularly provided accommodation and mentoring for young people who needed a place to stay. This passion started when I worked in a youth shelter many years ago. In my role as Chappy, I support independent students. These are yr 11, 12 students who can no longer live at home. One of the reasons we are renovating our home, is to provide opportunities for these students to have a stable place to stay so that they can finish school. The benefits of this system would not just be for us but for our community.
Financial reasons
If you know a little about State School Chaplains, you will know that we need to raise our own funds to do what we do. Chaplains do not earn a lot.
My wife and I have owned a small business for 10 years. We provide transport between Brisbane and Byron bay. When the border closed, so did our business. Since the season of fires, we have been going backwards financially. As a consequence of the Covid restrictions, It is likely that we will need to walk away from our small business with significant debt.
Having this solar system would be an amazing provision financially, particular when we have extra teenagers living with us, who will no doubt consume more power.
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BLOOMHILL CANCER CARE
Bloomhill is your local Cancer Care centre, established by the Sunshine Coast community for the Sunshine Coast community, to provide care and support for people of all ages living with cancer. We service the greater Sunshine Coast region and beyond.
Bloomhill prides itself on its evidence-based, nurse-led model of care supported by strong relationships with primary health care providers and local hospitals. In addition to our nurse-led care, we offer a broad range of complementary therapies and allied health services which assist and support individuals, their families and their carers during what can be a very challenging and life-changing experience.
All of our therapies and allied health services are founded in evidence-based practice to help our clients manage and mitigate the impacts of treatment on the mind and body. Our exercise physiology, dietetics, psychology, counselling and education programs are designed to arm and empower people with knowledge and techniques to self-manage their wellness-survivor journey.
Our client transport service also helps to directly break down barriers to accessing essential treatment and support services. All focused on helping people stay well and out of hospital.
All of our services are made possible through the proceeds of our eleven Op Shops, grants, fundraising activities, community and corporate support, and individual philanthropy. Our 450+ volunteers are the life blood of all our business fuelled by purpose, passion and pride to be the ‘village’ needed to support our community.
Together we all play an essential role in breaking down barriers to accessing essential treatment and support, improving treatment compliance and ultimately improve cancer health outcomes for the Sunshine Coast community and beyond.
Last financial year alone, Bloomhill actively supported 1,136 clients – providing nearly 8,000 occasions of nursing, allied health and complementary therapy care. All of this is made possible thanks to the generosity of individuals and businesses, like Halcol Energy who have donated generously to support our charity.
This massive 13.3KW Solar Package would significantly help toward alleviating existing electricity bills here at our centre.
Thank you to Andy and the team for continuing to care for the whole of the Sunshine Coast with this generous giveaway!
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