Our Local Community Service Projects
We love supporting those in our local community that are going through difficult times. Some of our local community support activities over recent years include:
- purchase and installation of two Street Libraries (located at CS#1 Narrabundah and Gungahlin),
- supporting residents in the Wallington independent living complex with a range of odd-job support activities,
- supporting the Vinnies Community Inclusion Program (CIP) supporting residents at Oaks Estate; including constr
ucting garden seats and a table tennis table, painting community facilities and providing Christmas hampers to each of the 80 resident families (see more below), - supporting a spectrum of activities with Community Services #1 (CS#1) including enhancement of their community garden, provision of two defibrillators for their facilities, assisting with their CS#1 Family Day, support to the Food Bank and Christmas hamper distribution and more (see more below),
- providing monthly staffing for the Vinnies night Van, providing food and material items to locals in need,
- packing small bags of necessary items for homeless men, women and families (supporting Kindness Conquers All),
- supporting the Floriade Gnome painting event,
- Supporting the Ken Behrans community food distribution throughout Canberra in the worst of COVID,
- support to Rotary Peace Walks, and much more.
Floriade Gnome Painting
Street Library
Preparing for the Vinnies Night Van
Service Partner - Community Service #1 (CS#1)
The Canberra Sundowners have been providing a range of support activities to assist CS#1 in providing services to the local community since 2020. In early 2023 the club entered into a Corporate Partnership Agreement with CS#1.
In partnership with Community Service #1 (CS#1), we have sought to improve the lives of those in need through:
- enhancing the CS#1 community vegetable garden (supported by an ACT Government grant),
- funding for Mental Health First Aid training for staff,
- provision of two defibrillators for CS#1 facilities,
- providing donations to the Community Service #1 food pantry,
- providing items for use in Christmas hampers and helping to distribute Christmas hampers, and
- assisting elements of CS#1's annual Family Fun Day.
Christmas Hamper Items Donation
Donations for CS#1 at Easter
Helping Out at CS#1 Family Fun Day
Service Partner - Vinnies Community Inclusion Program at Oaks Estate
The Canberra Sundowners undertook our first activity with the Vinnies Community Inclusion Program at Oaks Estate was a small task assembling three seat swing sets for outdoor community use in 2020. Since that time, Vinnies has been very appreciative of the Sundowners ability and willingness to help out, and we have undertaken a wide variety of support activities to help the lives of the Oaks Estate companions.
We continue to work with the Vinnies Community Inclusion Program, with a variety of tasks including:
- installing three 3-seat swing seats in community areas,
- regular painting of a community area BBQ , seating and fencing,
- installing new gardens in community areas,
- constructing new tables and seating under a newly donated pergola,
- purchasing goodies to fill Christmas Hampers, packing the hampers and distributing them to the Companions (annually since 2022).
BBQ Area Painting
Christmas Hamper Packing
Swing Seat Assembly
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Other Community Support Activities
Power In People
Early in the COVID pandemic we held several community service activities in support of Power in People (PiP). These events included cutting, sewing, ironing, hammering and more...... to support those in need. We produced face masks and a few other items to help people who had sought support through PiP. Read more about Power In People here.
