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Friday, 30 June, 2023
Charity gala success
Winter solstice celebrations
A sheet-load of good
36-page liftout Property Guide
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INSIDE
PR OP ER TY
Walk for John Kerr By Margie Maccoll At 6am Sunday morning, a week after 87-year-old Noosa man John Kerr was brutally attacked and died on Hastings Street boardwalk, 400500 residents came together to remember John and instil courage in the community. Also a regular morning walker, David Knechtli initiated the walk by posted a social media message after he heard the attack had left some people fearful of walking. Continued page 3
Residents and family members of John Kerr join in a walk of remembrance.
Sand not so soft By Abbey Cannan
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“Most people think the sand is soft, but it’s pretty hard when you’re sleeping on it every night”, was a sentiment that stuck with Sunshine Coast leaders at Thursday night’s Vinnies CEO Sleepout. The 2023 Vinnies CEO Sleepout, including the Sunshine Coast team sleeping on the beach at Maroochy Surf Club, raised more than $1.8 million across the state for homelessness support. After last year’s event I spoke with a single
mum who was homeless in Noosa, and she laughed at the ‘gimmick’ of CEOs sleeping on the beach for one night, questioning how much of this money was actually going towards helping the homeless. From someone who grew up with a single mum and at one point lived in a tent due to the rental crisis (although mum made it seem like a holiday at Hastings Point), I can understand why this woman I interviewed wasn’t thrilled with the idea of the charity event. Participants get to go into the surf club for drinks, have security guards and medics on the
beach all night, along with a volunteer team cooking them a bacon and egg breakfast, before going back to their fancy homes across the Sunshine Coast. But by listening to people who’ve lived through the harsh realities of homelessness and seeing the way they have changed their lives thanks to Vinnies and these supporters on the beach, it’s easy to realise just how much of a difference that $1.8 million can make. It’s people like Vinnies youth homeless support worker Dean Hanley and Beryl Rowan from St Vincent de Paul that put those dona-
tions into action by helping one person at a time on the Sunshine Coast. “We refer to them as our companions because we’re here to give them a hand up, not a hand out,” Beryl said. “We have on the coast 11 conferences ranging from Noosa down to Caloundra, and they’re made totally up of volunteers operating either as a support centre or completing home visits. “The main reasons people contact us are housing, cost of living, and education, and we assist them in various ways.” Continued page 5