4 Kids

This week’s aspiration is a simple   one.  It’s that by May this year four   Gladstone children and their carers can continue to live together in one   home.  No fast train, schweebs, eastern   by-pass, or international airport at Raglan.     Just a simple aspiration that many of us take for granted – a stable   caring home.  Making this aspiration   difficult to achieve though is wrapped up in the very thing that is to make our   state and nation prosperous again – the resources boom.

The lease on the home these four   children currently live in at Gladstone expires May this year.  The landlord will not be renewing the lease   on the modified five bedroom home.  The   challenge for the organisation responsible for the care of these children,   AnglicareCQ, is to find another home in Gladstone that is big enough and   affordable.  Action is required and  quickly.  If you’re thinking it’s a sad   situation, but ‘what can you do’, please consider this action.  If you are a business donate a percentage (of   your choosing) of your weekly turnover to AnglicareCQ to either build or   purchase a suitable home.  If you are a   consumer (that’s all of us) choose to deal with those businesses that make this  pledge.  Thus a win win scenario can   develop.  Participating businesses   benefit from the increased trade.  The   consumer wins knowing their action of choosing where to shop can keep four   children together. And the 4 kids win. If you talk the talk (I’d like to help)   this is how you can walk the walk.  Media   organisation Southern Cross Austereo has offered to promote the names of the   first 40 businesses willing to donate a percentage of their turnover to this   appeal free of charge.  An AspireCQ.com   website will be built to list the businesses and keep progress of totals coming   in.  If you’re thinking I wish you well   and promptly forget about it as you turn this page, consider this aspiration   could possibly cost $800k. $100000 is only going to provide a short term   solution i.e. leasing another home, if one can be found for around $2000 a   week.  The ideal solution is that   AnglicareCQ build a purpose built home. Not moving these 4 kids every twelve or   more likely six months.  Stability is   what is needed, not short term fixes.  It   is thus a huge aspiration. The more people involved though the more achievable   it can be.  Please be part of this    community project. Contact me by e-mail, warren@apap.com.au and indicate how you   can assist.  Your action will affect four   kid’s future.   To keep you updated on how this aspiration   progresses please follow my blog; www.aspirecq.blogspot.com  and this   column.

I disclose that I am an   AnglicareCQ board member, so I admit to self interest in the accomplishment of   this aspiration as do the rest of the board members, the team at AnglicareCQ and   hopefully our CQ community.