Simple acts of kindness making Coast brighter in dark times
When the world suddenly faced unprecedented change, the Sunshine Coast community had a simple response: it looked after one another.
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WHEN the world suddenly faced unprecedented change, the Sunshine Coast community had a simple response: it looked after one another.
Today, we celebrate the actions of those who help us see the light in dark days.
19 ACTS OF KINDNESS GIVING THE SUNSHINE COAST HOPE
1. Childcare fees waved
As the Hamilton family adjust to life during the COVID-19 fallout, acts of kindness have helped the family-of-four to deal with the blows.
Little Sprouts Early Learning in Bli Bli waived childcare fees when mum, Tarsha, feared she couldn't afford it.
They also were the first to receive a Kindness Box (free family dinner) at a time it was desperately needed.
2. Light up for hope
What better way to brighten these "dark days" than with Christmas lights?
That's the hope of Doonan's Kat Boyd, who strung up Christmas lights on her veranda on Friday night to brighten home confinement. And since then she's added solar lights to two palm trees in the front yard and put more around the back yard.
3. Garden clean up blows away
A hospital cleaner and wardswoman was blown away by the free garden makeover she received from a Sunshine Coast handyman.
Ross Booth and his partner Sharon Robertson volunteered their time to fix Sunshine Coast hospital worker Sandy Sharples' wobbly stairs and completed a huge clean-up of her yard.
4. Healthcare heroes celebrate acts of kindness
Staff at Buderim Private Hospital thanked the local community for supporting its team of healthcare workers.
The acts of kindness included the donation of colourful scrubs caps and free meals for frontline staff.
Buderim Private Hospital general manager Karen Clark said the team was thrilled to receive the surprise donations and was extremely grateful to the community for its support.
5. Free meal from Napoli with love
A woman celebrating her 80th birthday and a young couple who recently lost their jobs were just two of the recipients of free meals from Bella Vista.
Across two Monday nights, the Italian restaurant has offered 100 free meals to Mapleton residents who need them most.
They said the initiative was a way to thank the community which had supported the business since management changed in 2017.
6. Tasty idea delivers huge support
Despite struggling through COVID-19 restrictions, Montezuma's Mooloolaba owner Jan Russell offered a medical worker a free takeaway dinner and received what could only be explained as good karma after the thankful customer shared his experience with the Sunshine Coast community.
Mrs Russell said the gratitude post, uploaded by a customer's daughter onto the Sunshine Coast Community Board, generated a huge amount of unexpected but appreciated business.
"It was so busy ¬ people were coming in saying, 'We saw the post and we just want to support you', it was unbelievable," she said.
7. Rallying to find animals furrever homes
Abandoned and surrendered pets have begun to wag their tails once again as the walk out of the Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge and into loving forever homes.
Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge president Penny Bischke said in a two-week window, more than 70 dogs, cats, pups and kittens had been adopted or fostered as the community's animal lovers helped a skeleton crew of volunteers rehome animals in need.
Hundreds of foster care applications had flooded in, and up to 85 per cent of animals that had left the refuge were adopted.
8. Anonymous donation helps families
Earlier this month 10 families received $100 supermarket vouchers from a generous resident.
Whites IGA owner Roz White said a customer contacted her to anonymously donate the 10 $100 vouchers to families who needed it most in the community.
She said it was a lovely gesture given the stress some families and businesses were facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
9. Businesses rally to deliver essential hampers
A charity rallied the troops to ensure Coast families wouldn't go without essential items for Easter.
The Fleet Office director Jim Lee joined with Toyota dealership proprietor Brett Mills and Maleny Supa IGA owner Rob Outridge to gather resources for 50 local families in need.
The families received a care package full of essential household items and a few Easter eggs thanks to the collaborative efforts of the businesses and Coast charity STEPS.
10. Adding colour to dark times
As someone who is always looking to add a splash of colour to daily life, Noosa artist Tracey Keller is brightening the lives of others with her random acts of kindness.
Known for her bright, colourful animal portraits on display in her Hastings St gallery, the bubbly local was wondering how she could inject a little life to the now quiet tourist strip.
Since COVID-19 forced the temporary closure of her gallery to the public and with the street empty, apart from essential workers and those exercising, Ms Keller thought is was important to continue boosting moral.
11. Aged care residents go shaken, not stirred
Live concerts and free coffee are a few of the ways NoosaCare staff at both Carramar and Kabara are helping keep residents feel connected.
NoosaCare's Danah Wood said staff were going above an beyond to bring joy into the facility using skills that far reach their day-to-day roles.
12. Medical workers given free hot cross buns
Sunshine Coast medical workers were fuelled by freshly made hot cross buns after a local bakery donated 7500 of the Easter treats to local hospitals.
Baker's Delight Birtinya owner Rebecca Burl said she came up with the idea after the bakery gave all the teachers at their son's school a free 6-pack of buns.
13. Bright lights cheer up
Lifepointe Baptist Church on Wises Rd in Buderim erected a huge light up sign saying "U R Loved" on the front of their building to encourage and bless the community at this time.
Pastor Phil Greenbury said they were inspired by the reaction to their Christmas lights and knew the community needed some joy during the coronavirus pandemic.
14. Driveway artwork
Two Cooroy children ditched the screens and turned to the great outdoors to bring joy to their neighbours with their coloured chalk sticks.
Saxon Nurse, 11, and Abby Nye, 8 live across the road from each other and put their creative minds together to decorate Judy Chipperfield's driveway.
The kids were inspired by the Rainbow Trail Australia Facebook page.
15. Club's free meal deal
The Headland Golf Club community in Buderim has proven it's a generous bunch.
Vista at Headland's Greg Pollard has focused on serving takeaway since the virus hit.
He is donating meals to nurses for every 10 meals purchased and gave 67 meals to a Kawana hospital in one day alone.
He's now looking for others in need of food after a generous member donated enough money to hand out a further 100 meals.
16. Bright idea draws a crowd
It's not every day you'd invite strangers to add their own touches to your garden, but that's exactly what Tracey Carter has done in an effort to make her neighbourhood smile during a difficult time.
The Little Mountain woman was looking for a way to help families "beat the boredom" and decided to encourage children to decorate her front hedge with artwork.
She hung string around the hedge on Thursday with two signs that said "Add a picture, make someone smile". Within hours it was almost completely full of unique and colourful drawings.
17. Old pastime to bring joy to elderly people
An occupational therapist brought back an old pastime to ensure our elderly community felt "known and remembered" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nambour resident of 25 years Belinda Vella was inspired to begin a penpal initiative that gives community members the opportunity to connect with elderly residents at Regis Sippy Downs through email.
The HCA allied health occupational therapist said enabling communication with elderly residents who were unable to connect with friends and family amid coronavirus restrictions, was a great way for her to serve the community.
18. Food in a box when times get tough
A Bli Bli takeaway shop was blown away when customers got behind their weekly "kindness box" giveaway by donating meals for those doing it tough during COVID-19.
One of the recipients, the Tattam family, was nominated for one of the boxes by their local Jetts gym.
Mum-of-four and university student Natalie Tattam said she was so grateful to have a family dinner sorted after her husband lost his job and she struggled to keep up with daily demands.
19. Mechanics in survival mode still help out
With fewer cars on the road due to the coronavirus pandemic, mechanics have lost their usual customers and are doing what they can to help keep their business alive.
Although his business has dropped from servicing 30 cars a day down to about 10, Buderim Mechanical owner Hamish Rice has been helping the local retirement villages by keeping their cars running.
Hamish said as many people hadn't been driving their cars for the past three weeks in lockdown, they had been charging a lot of flat batteries just to help out.
Originally published as Simple acts of kindness making Coast brighter in dark times
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