IN BRIEF: Snapshots from around the Territory
IN BRIEF: Snapshots from around the Territory
11 March 2022
Surrounded by supporters and The Salvation Army mascot, Shieldy, SA/NT Divisional Adults Secretary Major Christine Waller (left of Shieldy) enjoys the relative calm after her 50km walk to celebrate her 50th birthday. Her husband, Major Jeff Waller, is far right.
Walking Waller’s 50km feat boosts appeal
Looking fabulous ... SA/NT Adults Secretary Major Christine Waller gives the thumbs up as she approaches the finish of her 50km walk to celebrate her 50th birthday and raise money for the Red Shield Appeal. Alongside her is friend Angela Yates-Taylor.
The Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal is much better off, but the jury is still out on the condition of Major Christine Waller after her milestone birthday celebration in February.
Christine decided that a good way to celebrate her 50th birthday was to walk 50km and raise money for the appeal along the way ... but is glad it’s all over. A week after the walk, Christine said her feet (minus a toenail) were still recovering.
With “a wonderful crew” walking alongside her for varying distances, she managed to complete the 50km in 13 hours, including meal breaks, and contribute $1550 to the 2022 appeal.
Christine said five people walked the entire 50km with her, including husband Major Jeff Waller, who is in training for an attempt to run a 115km Heysen Trail event later this year as a personal challenge. It will be the longest event he has entered so far.
Christine’s chosen route took the group from Felixstowe Reserve near her home towards Athelstone at the foot of the Adelaide Hills and back to the Lochiel Golf Club for breakfast. That was 20km. The route then took her to the Torrens Weir (Weir No.1), which was another 10km, then back to the golf club before doing 10 one-kilometre loops around Felixstowe Reserve to finish ... just after 7pm. The Army mascot, Shieldy, was at the finish line to welcome Christine and her companions.
Duan Kereru, Divisional Relationship Manager – Public Relations, said that receiving the donations from Christine’s walk was “such an encouraging start to this year’s appeal”. “Major Christine is such an inspirational woman, who leads from the front, and raising funds for the Red Shield Appeal is no exception,” Duan said.
People can continue to donate to the appeal by clicking Christine’s page here.
Salvos flood assistance continues
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The SAES crew at the Chandler evacuation centre (Qld) included volunteers from Newcastle, Townsville, Gosford, and the Central Coast.
The Salvation Army continues to provide practical and emotional support to the thousands of Australians affected by the floods in Queensland and NSW.
The situation as of 10 March 2022:
• Since the start of the floods, The Salvation Army has served more than 40,000 meals and refreshments to evacuees and first responders in 25 evacuation centres.
• The Army is active in three evacuation centres (one in Queensland and two in NSW), and as the water subsides, the focus is shifting to recovery. The Army is active in 21 recovery hubs (17 in Queensland and four in NSW).
• The Army has distributed more than $292,000 in financial assistance since the start of the floods to help meet immediate essential needs such as food, clothing, and medical supplies.
These recovery hubs are operated by multiple agencies, including The Salvation Army, and are a one-stop shop for information, referrals and personal support and guidance with accessing financial assistance.
‘Thank you’ to Streetlevel Mission
Mitchell Evans, Mission Leader of Streetlevel Mission (Sydney and Waterloo), was surprised last month when a community member he hadn't seen for some time arrived at Waterloo.
“They were smiling, they were pleasant to those around them, they were healthy,” Mitchell said. “They don't live in the area anymore, but made the trek back into Waterloo specifically to come and visit us at Streetlevel to say ‘thanks for saving my life’.”
This community member was well known to everyone in Waterloo. “You couldn’t walk past this person without getting verbally abused, with a bit of physical intimidation thrown in for good measure,” Mitchell said. “This behaviour had been going on for years. However, despite the challenges this posed, the team (including our volunteers) pressed into the awkward, the smelly, the inconvenient, the challenging space that was simply loving this person where they were at.”
The “thanks for saving my life” wasn’t a throwaway line. “There was a real fork-in-the-road moment for this person,” he said. “Thankfully, in what can only be a God moment of desperation, they chose the path that led them to Streetlevel Waterloo.”
Pancake breakfast marks start of Lent
Lining up for Shrove Tuesday breakfast pancakes with maple syrup and whipped cream at the Port Augusta hub are Deb Moore (left), Joyleen White, and Mel Norwood.
Shrove Tuesday is synonymous with pancakes, and the staff at The Salvation Army hub in Port Augusta were not about to miss out.
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday and marks the official end of Shrovetide and the beginning of Lent. While not specifically observed in the Army, many take the opportunity to recognise the day with prayer and other initiatives.
Pancakes are the traditional way to use up foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent.
In Port August, Corps Officer Major Gaye Day said she made pancakes for 14 corps folk, staff, and volunteers representing the Army’s homelessness services, Doorways and the thrift shop at the hub when they got together for breakfast to mark Shrove Tuesday.
“We shared breakfast but also had teaching on what Shrove Tuesday is about and about the Lent period,” Gaye said.
Campus opens north of Brisbane
Queensland Divisional Commander Major Gavin Watts (left) and the Federal Member for Dickson, Peter Dutton, unveil the plaque to open the new Army Independent Schools campus at Lawnton.The Federal Member for Dickson, Peter Dutton, has officially opened The Salvation Army Independent School’s new campus at Lawnton, north of Brisbane, alongside Queensland Divisional Commander Major Gavin Watts.
School principal Tammy Roth was the MC for the opening ceremony, which included a Welcome to Country by Songwoman Maroochy and traditional First Nations smoking ceremony by BJ Murphy Jinibara Culture Man.
Tammy said the Army’s Independent Schools were unique environments that fostered education at an individual level. With the new facility, staff would better be able to give the students a safe place to grow and learn.
“The development of this flagship school allows us to provide more young people with a pathway to transition to a life beyond formal schooling,” Tammy said. “It allows opportunities for success that would not otherwise be possible.”
Gavin said the new facility paved the way for the recently re-named Salvation Army Independent Schools from Youth Outreach Service Schools to expand services to young people in the Moreton Bay region at risk of disengaging from conventional schools.
“These new buildings will allow the school to nearly double its intake and provide a more conducive learning environment, allowing more space and flexibility for our amazing teachers and support staff to connect better with students,” Gavin said.
“This new campus sets the bar for what alternative education can look like, and I’m excited by the prospects of similar facilities popping up around Queensland over the coming years,” he said.
The facility was made possible through a Federal Government Building Grants Australia program.
Shontell Dougherty, the Army’s National Education Manager, said that, when she was growing up, education was not a primary focus and her education experience was not great, but, with the support of teachers, she completed her final year and eventually went on to become a teacher herself.
She said she understood the importance of having a Christian worker supporting young people at school who cared and invested in where students were going.
“My heart has always been about supporting young people no matter what their background to see them achieve their full potential. [Now] here I am, leading schools specifically around disengaged young people. God is truly great,” Shontell said.
“The hope that we hold for each young person that enters our schools is that we provide them with the opportunity to break the cycle of their circumstances and have the freedom of choice through education,” she said.
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