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),
- a range of support for the Vinnies Community Inclusion Program (CIP) supporting residents at Oaks Estate; including constructing 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 provision of two defibrillators for their facilities, staffing for 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,
- making COVID-19 reusable face masks (supporting Power in People),
- 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:
- 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
- providing funding for signs and people to assist with running elements of CS#1's 2022 Family Fun Day.
Christmas Hamper Items Donation
Donations for CS#1 Food Pantry
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,
- painting a community area BBQ , seating and fencing,
- assembling items bought by Vinnies for use by Companions including a table-tennis table, and
- purchasing $2,500 of goodies to fill 80 Christmas Hampers, packing the hampers and distributing them to the Companions (Christmas 2022).
BBQ Area Painting
Christmas Hamper Packing
Swing Seat Assembly