The Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre Inc. receives funding from the

Queensland Department of Communities

February 2020

Community buses that were presented in the Maraka Parade. The theme was the

flower power era of the 60’s.

INGHAM COMMUNITY GARDEN

A small group of ladies attend the Ingham Community Garden on a breezy, cool

morning for the monthly group meeting. They enjoyed a tasty morning tea and then

watered and weeded the vegie and plant gardens. The Filipino vegies are growing very

well. Beans and tomatoes, pumpkins and corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes and a

variety of other vegies were also growing well. The pickings were more than

satisfactory. Several fruit trees are promising to make good crops.

There is a huge compost pile and a large mill mud mound. Some 10 large tractor tyres

have been donated. There is a plan to reposition these, fill with mill mud and compost

in preparation for the next planting season.

Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre invites any member from the community to visit the Ingham Community Garden to plant, cultivate and grow their own vegies and fruit. It is our vision to create a safe and peaceful place for local members of the community to come together and enjoy social interaction and a healthy lifestyle. Entry to the garden is from 100 McIlwraith Street. IF you are interested in coming along at any time please call Marilyn or Marion. 4776 1822.

We Have a Little Garden by Beatrix Potter

We have a little garden,

A garden of our own,

And every day we water there

The seeds that we have sown.

We love our little garden,

And tend it with such care,

You will not find a faded leaf

Or blighted blossom there.

MARAKA PARADE HCSC put the “Out and About” Bus and the Non Urgent Medical Bus into the Maraka Parade. Staff and a volunteer walked beside the buses and gave lollies to the children and adults along the way. That was very enjoyable and the children enjoyed receiving the sweets. The Medical

Bus goes to Townsville week days to take people to their appointments at Dr’s and Hospitals in Townsville. Out and About is a fortnightly service transporting passengers from out lying areas

of Ingham into town for shopping and appointments.

INGHAM COMMUNITY GARDEN

Our community garden is about to start. We are having our first meeting on the 20th

March. Community Garden is here to help residents with an interest in community

gardens. The garden has been established for a few years and residents can grows different

varieties of edible plants, including salad greens, vegetables, herbs, fruit and butterfly and

insect attracting plants.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO COME ALONG AND GROW VEGETABLES OR FLOWERS.

AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS

HCSC was invited to sell ticketS at the Australia Day Awards . We sold tickets to support our

“Out and About Bus” that goes around Ingham every second week. Gloria, Zina and Marion

had a very interesting morning and we enjoyed it immensely.

Thank you to the people who supported us.

FORREST BEACH CWA

CWA Forrest Beach have been kindly

donating beautifully finished off toiletry

packs throughout the year. Our clients in

need really appreciate their generosity.

CHRISTMAS PARCELS FROM ST PETER’S SCHOOL

St Peter’s Halifax students continue to fundraise throughout the year so they can purchase toys and gifts for vulnerable children to be distributed through HCSC Annual Christmas assistance program.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS

Morning Coffee Club

HCSC welcomed back our Morning Coffee Club members to enjoy a great morning of social interaction, good food and an excellent presentation by

Michelle Jardine, Police Liaison Officer, on Scamming protection for Seniors. This very serious constant bombardment of scammers is a very real

issue for older people. Michelle's talk and information was very well received by all.

The next Morning Coffee Club date will be 14th February.

Morning Coffee Club is held every fortnight, 9.30 am to 11.30 am. A $3 donation can be made on the day. Persons interested in attending may call reception,

4776 1822, for information.

PROBLEM DEBT

The post-Christmas/holiday and back-to-school time of year can be expensive for families in Queensland. Having to fork out extra money during the festive time can lead to problem debt. If you or someone you know is having spiralling debt issues, it’s important to act quickly.

Problem debt is when someone does not have the capacity to pay back a debt – it could be a banking or payday lenders debt, utility bill, or an unpaid fine or a penalty with the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER), or a combination of these debts.

An essential first step when facing problem debt is to contact the credit or utility provider and let them know the customer is experiencing financial hardship. Many companies have hardship officers who can assess the situation and work out what help is available.

If you or a person you know is feeling overwhelmed, another option is to speak to a financial counsellor. Financial counsellors offer a free, independent and confidential service, aiming to get people back on track with their finances.

Call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007

(Monday to Friday, 9.30am–4.30pm)

FINANCIAL COUNSELLORS PROVIDE A FREE, CONFIDENTIAL & INDEPENDENT SERVICE

Financial counsellors can:

Suggest ways to improve your financial situation

• See if you are eligible for government assistance

Negotiate repayment arrangements with your creditors

Explain your options and their consequences, including debt recovery procedures, bankruptcy and other alternatives

Help you apply for a hardship variation

• Help you organise your finances and do a budget

• Refer you to other services, for example, a gambling helpline, family support, personal counselling or community legal aid.

HOLIDAY

ACTIVITIES

On the school holidays the

youth program hosted

holiday activities for some

local kids. These activities

were designed to entertain

the kids whilst teaching them

some life skills. In the lead

up to Christmas we made

Christmas pancakes, and we

also made biscuits that we

decorated with marshmallow

snowmen and Christmas

trees.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGAL SERVICE

The North Queensland Women’s Legal Service (NQWLS) is a community legal centre with offices

in Townsville and Cairns. NQWLS provides free legal help to women.

The Domestic Violence Legal Service operates within NQWLS and provides a holistic, specialist

domestic violence casework service for women who are at the highest risk of domestic and family

violence and in the greatest need of assistance.

The Domestic Violence Legal Service provides advice and assistance not only for domestic vio-

lence applications, but for other legal matters that are linked to the domestic violence, includ-

ing:

Parenting matters

Property settlement & spousal maintenance matters

Child protection/child safety matters

Tenancy matters

Victim Assist Queensland applications

Debt matters

The Domestic Violence Legal Service may be able to provide assistance with:

Preparing court documents – domestic violence, family law & child protection

Family dispute resolution/mediation

Negotiating parenting arrangements & property settlement/spousal maintenance

Preparing parenting plans & consent orders

Negotiating with Child Safety

Preparing QCAT applications – tenancy & debt

Court appearances – including representation in court

In addition to legal advice and assistance, the Domestic Violence Legal Service will also provide women with direct

referrals to other services for support and assistance, such as financial counselling, safety planning, personal counsel-

ling, tenancy advice and housing assistance.

Office

Hours

Office Hours Monday – Friday from 9am to 5pm (closed public holidays)

Legal Advice Line 1800 244 504 - Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs—9am to 1pm

www.nqwls.com.au

Legal Advice Line 1800 244 504 – Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs – 9am to 1pm

Townsville Office Cairns Office

Location Ground Floor, 42 Sturt Street Suite 4, Level 1, 88 Abbott Street

Phone 07 4772 5400 07 4033 5825

Free One Day Suicide Intervention Course

Contact HCSC office Ph: 4776 1822

CORESTM Hinchinbrook COmmunity Response to Eliminating Suicide

Imagine these faces to be family, friends, neighbours or work colleagues.

Can you pick which one is having troubling thoughts? Would you know?

If you did suspect something, could you deal with it?

Family and community members are increasingly coming under pressure,

which may be related to emotional situations, finances, work, or it may be

caused by a personal event that has devastating effects.

What happens if a person can’t cope ... will someone be there for them?

This free ONE DAY TRAINING CORES COURSE will give you the skills and

confidence to recognise then assess a person who may be at risk of self harm or

suicide.

Venue Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre

71 Townsville Road, Ingham

Cost Free

Time 9am to 3pm

Con-

tact

Marilyn – 4776 1822 or

Email: marilyn@hcsc.org.au

Booking is essential – **Please bring a packed lunch**

Morning tea will be provided.

Simply participate in discussion if you so wish.

Nothing else is required of you.

Community Bus Sponsorship 2019/2020

Thank you to all our generous sponsors who help to keep our

“Community Out and About Transport” in operation.

Out and About Bus Fares & Times a

PICK UP TIME SINGLE RETURN

Departs Ingham 7.25 am

Macknade 7.35 am $8.00 $14.00

Lucinda 7.50 am $10.00 $18.00

Halifax 8.05 am $9.00 $16.00

Taylors Beach 8.20 am $10.00 $18.00

Cordelia 8.35 am $8.00 $14.00

Arrives Ingham 8.50 am

INGHAM LOOP

SPEAK TO DRIVER ABOUT TOWN

PICK UP/DROP OFF LOCATIONS

• Coles

• Tafe Bus Stop

• Bluehaven Lodge

• Woolworths

• Ingham Medical

• Hospital

• RSL

$5.00

$8.00

Trebonne (including nursing

home)

9.35 am $7.00 $12.00

INGHAM LOOP CONTINUES 9.55 am

FINAL PICK UP/DROP OFF

Around Ingham 11.35 am-12.30

pm

Trebonne 12.15 pm

Macknade 1.00 pm

Halifax 1.05 pm

Lucinda 1.15 pm

Taylors Beach 1.40 pm

Cordelia 2.00 pm

Arrives Ingham 2.15 pm

Our “Safety First” program will assist victims of Domestic and Family Violence to

stay safely in their own home

Our Domestic Violence Support Workers will assist you to enhance your safety and the safety of

your children. Protection Orders and safety plans will be discussed and you can decide the best

option for you to either stay at home or to go to a shelter or other arrangements. Information will

be given to assist you to use your Protection Order effectively. Crisis counselling will be provided

and appropriate referrals made if required.

If staying in your current accommodation is the best option for you, a risk assessment, and a safety

audit of the property will be conducted. Help will be provided to negotiate with the landlord and

others to enable upgrade of the property to ensure safety.

How our workers can support you

HCSC will work with the courts and police to assist you and your children to stay safe in your

home. To accomplish this we will:

• Discuss safety needs to ensure you feel safe staying in your home .

• Plan practical aspects of staying safely at home

• Make arrangements for safety upgrades to be made to your home

• Discuss and plan for appropriate referrals

• Assist with the court process

• Provide information and support

• Provide respectful and holistic support to achieve a feeling of safety

• Follow up on safety issues

If your would like further information regarding our “Safety First” program, please

contact our office on 4776 1822 to speak with one of our Domestic and Family

Violence Support Workers.

HCSC is able to assist you with the following:

Information & Support

Court Support

Referral

Advocacy

Community Education

Shelter Accommodation

Domestic and Family Violence not only includes personal attacks, but can include damage to

property and pets.

Do you know someone who needs help?

If you’re worried about a friend or family member that you think may be experiencing abuse and

you’re not sure what to do, you can call our service for confidential advise. We can talk to you about ways to support the person and how you can help

them stay safe.

HCSC – Domestic and Family Violence Program

(07) 4776 1822 @ The HUB

52 McILWRAITH STREET, INGHAM

FARES

RETURN FARE

• Medical PTSS travel voucher—no charge

• No Medical travel voucher -$55

• Unassisted medical/dental appointment -

$55.00 concession

• Travel for non medical reasons

$66.00 full fare

• Rollingstone * $44.00 return

• Bluewater * $33.00 return

ONE WAY

• Adults $44.00 full fare

• Children $22.00 full fare

• Rollingstone * $33.00 full fare

• Bluewater * $22.00 full fare

*Extra costs may apply to the above rates. Please phone

for details.

All prices GST inclusive

You must ring and book as soon as you have

made your appointment to ensure your seat

and please advise if you have any special needs.

Book by phoning 4776 1822, if you miss us leave

your name and phone number on the answering machine

and we will get back to you.

We will ring the day before travel or on Friday

if you are travelling on Monday to advise of

our departure time.

Townsville Non

Urgent

Medical and Dental

5 Days a Week

Phone

your name and phone number on the answering machine

GENERAL DISCLAIMER

This publication is intended as an information and entertainment source only and is not in any way an endorsement

of any product, program, organization or service mentioned. Every effort has been made to ensure that the

information in this newsletter is accurate and up to date. The management Committee and staff do not accept any

legal liability or responsibility for any injury, loss or damage incurred by the use of, or reliance on the information

provided, or for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies. Please seek professional advice and support for any issues

that you may have in relation to the information provided.

HOW TO CONTACT THE SUPPORT

CENTRE

PHONE: 4776 1822

FAX: 4776 1008

Email: communitysupport@hcsc.org.au

Website: www.hcsc.org.au

The Centre: 71 Townsville Road; The Hub: 52 McIlwraith Street

INGHAM 4850

Ambulance

Emergency …….. 000

Non Urgent …... 131 233

Police

Emergency ……... 000

Police Link …….. 131 444

Fire

Emergency …… 000

Ingham ……. 4761 7410

Forrest Bch …... 4796 9029

Lifeline ...……. 131 114