Students at Mackenzie State School, in Brisbane’s south-east, had a life-changing idea.

They wanted to collect as many items as they could – food, clothes and toys – and pass it on to others. All they needed was a little bit of encouragement to get it off the ground – and that’s when their chaplain, Joe Riley, stepped in.

“It didn’t matter who was going to get the goods – they just recognised that people sometimes need help when unexpected circumstances arise and wanted to see what they could do,” Chappy Joe says. (more…)

Do you know someone who is a racing car driver and a school Principal? We do! Simon Boss-Walker, Principal of Kawungan State School, races cars semi-professionally and proudly displays the SU QLD logo on his 1965 Ford Falcon.

Simon has had a life-long passion for motor racing. “I began racing when I was about 20 years old but could never afford it. When I bought the Ford it was only going to be a cruiser. But I could see the potential of the car. It is now a part of the only XP (Xtreme Performance) racing in Australia,” says Simon.

“Since having the logo on the car people often tell me of the great work chaplains do in local schools and how the chaplain helped them. This [logo sticker on my car] helps bring awareness and shows my support for chaplaincy,” he says.

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If you stepped foot into Cherbourg Primary School, you’d be immediately swarmed by kids. They’d drag you to the playground to teach you how to play marbles. Or they’d request piggyback rides so they could chase their friends around. More than anything, they’d just want some attention.

A couple of months ago, I travelled to Cherbourg and Murgon – two neighbouring towns in Queensland’s South Burnett region. Cherbourg is Queensland’s third largest Aboriginal community.

Although Cherbourg is only a 4-hour drive north-west from Brisbane, in some ways, it feels like a world away. It’s a little town, with minimal shops; lots of dust everywhere because of little rain; and there are no traffic lights. Definitely not like the ‘bubble’ of Brisbane I’m used to.

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Selena and Samantha are only 9 and 10 years old – but they are facing a situation no child should.

Their mum, Lisa, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

After struggling with constant back pain and headaches, Lisa visited the doctor for a quick check-up last year. But the doctors unexpectedly discovered she had cancer in her vertebrae, breast and neck.

Lisa, Samantha and Selena have been left to cope on their own… but they aren’t completely alone.

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We’ve heard it a lot in the media – there’s a mining ‘boom’… there’s a mining ‘bust’… mining is our country’s future… mining is our country’s collapse.

Whatever your view, I think many forget that there are stories behind the headlines – stories of towns and people who live amongst the changes.

One such town is Chinchilla (300km west-northwest of Brisbane), and I had the privilege of visiting the locals there in August. I heard first-hand about how the community, including the schools, changed as locals welcomed mining families into the area.

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Like thousands of students, Stuart’s life has changed because of his chaplain’s support. On the 13^th October, he told his story to 1,100 guests at our annual Frontline Chaplaincy Appeal Dinner, where $670,000 was given in support of school chaplaincy…

“I’m 14, I used to go to Bray Park primary and I’m now in Year 9 at Pine Rivers State High.

“I first met Chappy Kirsty at the end of Year 6, when she came up to me and took me out during class. She heard that my father was sick and that I was going through a bit of a tough time. I was really close with dad and I was feeling angry and had to blame someone for it and I was feeling sad all the time.

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World Food Day, established by the United Nations, is celebrated annually on October 16^th. This year’s theme is Family Farming: ‘Feeding the world, caring for the earth’.

Despite the world producing enough food to feed everyone, according to Oxfam, 842 million people around the world still go hungry. This is 1 in 8 people and incredibly, 80% of those people are involved in food production.

Often we think about third world countries, but many families in Australia struggle to get food and this can negatively affect the social, emotional and education outcomes for the children in these families.

And our school chaplains are doing what they can to help.

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A Garden and Lifestyle Expo raising funds for chaplaincy!

We have amazing volunteers on all our Local Chaplaincy Committees (LCCs).

They are people like you, who want to see young people supported and cared for. These volunteers run countless fundraisers every year – events like sausage sizzles, community dances, and movie plus dessert nights.

This year, Samford and Mount Samson’s LCC is running the first annual Garden and Lifestyle Expo. It’s the first of what will become an annual event growing from year to year. The goal is to inspire and excite both new and experienced gardeners, and for people to just enjoy the atmosphere.

We spoke to one of the key minds behind the event, Julie Sanderson, who is chair of Samford’s LCC.

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For most 11-year old Queensland girls the greatest challenges in life can be finding time for homework or falling out with a friend in the schoolyard.

At 11 years of age, Toowoomba schoolgirl Bree Himstedt had already been removed from her drug-addicted mother’s care to live with her ‘Nan’. She battled depression and had even contemplated taking her own young life. Then she met school chaplain Debbie Dodds. (more…)