Two Logan churches have launched neighbourhood outreach programs after being awarded grants through a new funding initiative.
Park Ridge Baptist Church and Jehovah Jireh Baptist Church are two of 14 churches and organisations around Queensland to have been allocated funding through the inaugural Carinity Collaborative Community Projects.
The funding program sees Brisbane-based not-for-profit Carinity partner with Queensland churches to support funding for community outreach programs that will enrich peoples’ lives and assist them reach their full potential.
Over $350,000 has been allocated towards the first year of funding for projects designed to help relieve or mitigate disadvantage, promote connectivity for vulnerable people, or increase the strength of local neighbourhoods against disadvantage.
Park Ridge Baptist Church’s project, the Community Service Sunday initiative, sees church members lend a hand to people in need in the Logan area. Recent activities include mowing and yard maintenance, house cleaning, roadside clean-ups, baking cakes for community hampers, and knitting teddies for emergency services.
Jehovah Jireh Baptist Church is building community strength through farming. Its Growing Communities project encourages vulnerable Logan residents to learn how to grow small crops to use at home or to sell at farmers markets.
Church pastor Lal Fanai says the project aims to help “isolated people, refugees and elderly people” and their families with workplace skills and a means of being self-sufficient.
Participants will work on farmland in Berrinba and learn about crop planning, land preparation, workplace safety, sun protection, organic growing methods, bush food, budgeting and English language skills.
Growing Communities builds on a pilot farming project at Jehovah Jireh Baptist Church, which has many members from Myanmar with backgrounds in agriculture.
Pastor Lal says, “We have had good results with church members enjoying growing crops and spending time on the farm, especially people who are disadvantaged due to lack of English language skills, age and disability.”
“We know in the Logan area there are people who are lonely, disadvantaged and who don’t have opportunities of using land, so that is the main reason we have opened to our wider community.”
An estimated 100 Logan City residents will have the opportunity to learn to become small crop farmers over the next three years.
Brett Maunder from Carinity says the Collaborative Community Projects help to relieve and mitigate disadvantage, promote connectivity for vulnerable people, and increase the strength of local neighbourhoods.
“This is an exciting initiative which builds on the positive outcomes of the Carinity Innovation Grants, which over 14 years saw us support 92 churches to deliver 137 community projects.”
“We look forward to seeing how these projects evolve and how churches in both metropolitan and rural areas support members of their local community who require assistance.”
For more information on the Growing Communities project go to www.facebook.com/GrowingCommunitiesBerrinba or phone 0407 910 777.
