15 December 2015

Gear family’s SUperhero support

Posted in Supporter


Geoff and Karen Gear seem like a normal, caring couple – but they are extraordinary because they’re SUperheroes.

They are SUperheroes because they support SU QLD, and a number of individual chaplains, with a regular donation. This incredible couple has been giving for almost 15 years.

In 2000, Geoff graduated from what was then known as the Youth Ministry Internship Scheme (YMIS) training program. Karen said that it was Geoff’s positive experience in the program that led the couple to deciding to financially support it on a regular basis.

Geoff learns what it means to be a chaplain

“YMIS was definitely the reason we started supporting SU. Through YMIS, my husband did the practical element of his study shadowing a chaplain in a school,” says Karen.

“Geoff would come home from the school after each day of his practical training, having had really amazing conversations with students and witnessing the phenomenal work that chaplains do. Listening to those stories, hearing what the kids are going through and just how much they needed to have the chaplains there, that’s definitely where it started.”

Listening to those stories, hearing what the kids are going through and just how much they needed to have the chaplains there, that’s definitely where it started.”

Why the Gears became SUper Heroes

Geoff, Karen and their family love supporting the work of chaplains, after seeing the positive impact that chaplaincy has on young people.

“From my point of view, there are so many benefits that a school gets from having a chaplain in it and I’ve been able to witness this firsthand.”

“It’s about giving the chaplains one less thing to worry about. They’re so busy looking after all the kids. So for a chaplain to take time out of that and find time to fundraise takes away from their time with the kids. And we want to make sure we took that need to fundraise away from them.”

The life-changing sum of their efforts

Despite being very humble about the tremendous support that they provide to chaplains, Geoff and Karen know how much of a difference that their generous donations could have on the life of a young person.

“In total, if you spread it out over all the chaplains, we’re only funding one day a week. But we hope that it makes that chaplain’s life easier and it’s one more day that this chaplain can be doing what they do best. That one extra day a week could change a young person’s life.”

If you’d like to join Geoff and Karen as SUper Heroes, visit suqld.org.au/superheroes to set up a regular donation.

 



SU QLD

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