Dare 2 Re Wear – for Sids for Kids

Posted on May 21, 2013 by

Dare2rewearOK Brisbane ladies – my friend Bec Byrnes from SIDS & Kids QLD has just finished sorting hundreds of fabulous up-cycled/pre-loved and new dresses, skirts, shirts and accessories into categories of $10, $20, $30, $40, $50 and $60. Brands include Sacha Drake, Studibaker, Wayne Cooper, Vivienne Westwood, Decjuba, Worship, Events, Katherine, Mr K, Bari Jay, Eve Hunter, Calabro, Cue, Veronika Maine, Witchery, Noni, Jigsaw, Seduce, H&M, Covers, Jane Lamerton, for $60 or under!!!

All for the SIDS and Kids upcoming fundraiser Dare 2 Re Wear event at 6pm Tuesday 28 May 2013 at LOFT, 100 Boundary Street West End.

 

SIDS and Kids Queensland provide bereavement and grief support to Queensland families who have experienced the sudden and unexpected death of a baby during pregnancy, birth and infancy regardless of the cause. They also provide Safe Sleeping education programs designed to reduce the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleeping accidents.

Your Dare 2 Re Wear $30 ticket includes:

  • arrival sparkling from the Big Girl’s Panties Wine label, nibbles and goodie bag;
  • first 100 shoppers receive a delicious cupcake from Big Cake Little Cake – yum!
  • Fashion parade of up-cycled fashion;
  • photo booth from the guys at Funktion Booth;
  • Alison Triffett from Style Counsel will be giving tips, tricks and a “what’s hot” this season for parties as well as a lesson on “body shape”and styling your outfits to match;
  • hosts for the evening are the fabulous Alli & Genine (bloggers, marketers and authors of “Issues? What issues?”)

So, what are you waiting for?  Grab some girlfriends and enjoy a girls night out all for a very worthy cause! Buy your ticket here.

Follow SIDS for Kids on facebook and twitter.

Posted in Brisbane Events, Children, Community, Ethical Shopping, GIVING, KINDNESS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

smiling for smiddy

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

AdamSmiddyParkI didn’t know Adam Smiddy, but I kind of wish I had.  Adam Smiddy was a talented physiotherapist, a triathlete and a loved friend of many.  On 6 August 2006, 26 year old Adam Smiddy passed away after a short and brave battle against an aggressive melanoma. I have gotten to know a little bit about Adam through my friend Anna Tate who in 2012, cycled 2500km across the Nullabor Desert in his memory. Reading through the heartfelt tributes about Adam on website Smiling for Smiddy – I think he was the kind of guy everyone would have liked to know.

Great mates Adam Smiddy and Mark ‘Sharky’ Smoothy loved to ride and often talked about doing a credit card ride – riding for a few days in one direction with nothing more than a credit card in their pocket, then catching a bus home. That dream was never realised.

Soon after Adam passed away, Mark and two friends cycled a gruelling 1600kms from UQ Aquatic Centre in Brisbane to Home Hill in Townsville, where Adam’s parents lived, to raise funds for cancer research in memory of Adam.

This ride is now an annual event (the 2013 ride is 7-14 September) and Smiling for Smiddy has so far raised over $3 million for cancer research and support services.

My inspiring friend Anna now has a new target, this time a little bit closer to home,  in a few weeks she will do a 3 day ride to Toowoomba and Warwick, then in September she will “pop down to Tasmania for a loop.”

She says this “loop” bit, in exactly the same way as she says “and now do 50 push ups”, like it is no big deal.  You see Anna, moonlights as a personal trainer, running twice weekly bootcamp sessions* at Gregory Park in Milton (Brisbane) and she is donating 100% of her fee to Smiling to Smiddy.   Yep, that is right, you go to a park, get fit and ALL of the money you pay goes to cancer research.  AMAZING.

But dont worry, you dont have to go to bootcamp to donate to the cause (phew I hear you sigh) simply visit Anna’s fundraising page here and applaud her very kind efforts with a donation.

Follow Smiling for Smiddy on facebook or contact them via email info@smiddy.org.au

* Bootcamp is 6am Friday mornings and 4:30pm Sunday afternoons at Gregory Park Milton, Brisbane, $10 per session. Email Anna on tateanna@hotmail.com if you want to join in.

Posted in Brisbane Events, Children, Community, Ethical Shopping, GIVING, KINDNESS, Pay it forward, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

stop traffick – the JC Denim Project

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

The United Nations estimate that 20.9 million men, women and children are trafficked around the world for purposes of forced prostitution, labor and other forms of exploitation every year. This is equivalent to the entire population of Australia.
This figure includes an estimated 5.5 million children being trafficked. This figure is believed to be conservative. (www.ungift.org, www.ilo.org)

stop-traffick-3.11Two organisations trying to do something about this horrific human crisis is Destiny Rescue and JC Clothing Company - watch this inspiring clip of hope: Stop Traffick – The JC Denim Project

In their words: The JC Denim – Stop Traffick campaign is a hands-on, fully-fledged, cross-country, fashion-meets-ethical-social-justice project designed to see girls set free from the sex trafficking trade.

JC Denim is working with Destiny Rescue, an organisation dedicated to rescuing trafficked girls in poor nations like Cambodia and Thailand, to be a part of the solution.

Destiny Rescue finds these girls and gets them out of the situation they’re in. Once they are in a safe environment, and rehabilitated, the girls are taught a trade.

Each pair of JC Denim jeans is handcrafted by one of the young girl graduates from the Destiny sewing school. When you buy a pair of JC Denim Project jeans, you are giving a young girl a chance at a better life; a hope for the future she can hold onto.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

JC Denim believe “if more people can bring work into these remote areas for the girls, pay them well for it, and teach them the skills that they need to be able to make an income or sustainable business, then we believe that is a really exciting prospect, not just for us, but for a lot of companies around the world.”

To purchase your pair of JC Denim handcrafted jeans visit www.jcclothingcompany.com

To find out about other ways to get involved, visit:
Destiny Rescue, Facebook or twitter
JC Clothing Company, Facebook or twitter

 

Posted in Children, Community, CSR, Ethical Shopping, GIVING, HIV / AIDS, Homelessness, KINDNESS, Pay it forward, Social Enterprise | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

the suspended coffee movement

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

suspendedcoffeeI am deliberately sending this to you, hoping to catch you just before you dash out to grab your morning coffee…

have you heard about the suspended coffee movement yet?

If not, this movement will warm your heart faster than a hot drink on a winters day.  It is simple, when your buy a coffee, you buy another pay-it-forward one for a complete stranger who is down on their luck.  NICE!

Apparently this caffeine-fuelled movement of kindness originated in Naples, Italy post war where it is called caffe sospenso – coffee suspended or pending.

Closer to home (for me anyway) there are a growing number of Australian cafes supporting this symbol of grassroots social solidarity. The Courier Mail reports that one cafe in Brisbane, The Woolloongabba Antiques Centre has been giving away up to 50 donated coffees a week through its pay-it-forward program, which encourages customers to “become a link in the chain reaction of kind deeds”.

The Suspended Coffee facebook page has almost 50,000 likers on it, and there are two pages representing Australia here and here, all promoting locations on where you can sweeten your own coffee, by buying one for someone else:

Brisbane Suspended Coffee Society and the list of Queensland participating cafes.
Sydney Suspended Coffee
Melbourne Suspended Coffee and the details for one in Ballarat.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Shebeen: Australia’s first philanthrobar?

Posted on April 8, 2013 by

shebeen-pin-up-your-doodle-bottles-jeremy-leyImagine drinking a chilled beer (or wine for that matter) that for every sweet sip, you are helping someone in a developing country?  Imagine no more, new Melbourne philanthro-bar Shebeen is open for business and it does exactly that, and as Time Out so eloquently put, Shebeen is the bar where it’s selfish not to drink.

Already getting great reviews, it is located at 36 Manchester Lane, Melbourne – map here. A lovely addition to the Melbourne alleyway bar repertoire!

Exotic beers and wines from the developing world are sold with profits from each drink supporting a development project in that drink’s country of origin.  For example, buying an Ethiopian beer provides agricultural equipment to a rural farmer in Ethipia, or a South Africian wine provides a book for a child in South Africa – get it?  Cheers to that!

Some of my other favourite non-profit (or profit for a purpose) nosheries or feel-good-giving-gastromic organisations are:

Charcoal Lane 136 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy Melbourne
Expresso Train 46 Station Street, Nundah Brisbane
Lentil as Anything - Abottsford convent, St Kilda and Footscray in Melbourne
Bam Expresso 3 Julia Street, Fortitude Valley Brisbane
Our Big Kitchen 36 Flood Street, Bondi Sydney
Bleeding Heart 166 Ann Street, Brisbane
Good Will Wine (Good Wine. Good Price. Good Will.)
Cavalier Courage Beer easy drinking craft beer

Would you like to add any more to my list? Please leave me a comment with the details…

Posted in Community, CSR, Ethical Shopping, GIVING, KINDNESS, Pay it forward, Social Enterprise, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Queensland Charity Events 2013

Posted on March 4, 2013 by

So I went looking for a list of what charity events are on in Queensland this year, more specifically the frock-up-for-your-favourite-cause type charity Balls and couldnt fine one. So I decided to write my own.

So dust off your penguin suit or fabulous frock, grab some friends, book your tickets and make a difference!  Read through the list to find out how you can win your very own  Personal Planner.

In chronological order…please leave me the details a comment below if I have missed any, and I will happily add it to the list!  I suspect this list will grow over the next couple of months, so please check back throughout the year…

felicityswishFriday 15th March 2013
4th Fundraising Cocktail Party
Details: $145 pp at Mirra, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
Cause: supporting breast cancer services and research

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CFSaturday 16th March 2013
Cystic Fibrosis “The Breathless Ball”
Details: $195 pp (Table $1950) The Great Hall, BCEC, Brisbane
Cause: To provide the education, support and services that empower people in the cystic fibrosis community to realise their full potential

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montroseaccessFriday 22nd March 2013
Montrose Access Tuscan Long Table
Details: $110 pp Verdant Resturant, Gardenway, Darra, Brisbane
Cause: Disability care for kids
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DMFSaturday 23rd March 2013
Daniel Morcombe Foundation – Dance for Daniel 2013
Details: $195 pp (Table $1775) at Caloundra RSL, Sunshine Coast
Cause: To educate children regarding their personal safety (including abduction)

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hearandsaySaturday 23rd March 2013
Hear and Dream Ball
Details: $180 pp (Table $1750) at Mirra, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
Cause: Helping deaf children to hear, listen and speak

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mndandmeSaturday 23rd March 2013
MND and Me Gala Dinner
Details: $170 pp at Victoria Park Golf Club, Brisbane
Cause: To enhance the quality of life of those diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease

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MWFriday 3rd May 2013
Mummy’s Wish Mothers Day Ball
Details: $175 pp (Table$1500) at Hilton Brisbane
Cause: Helping mums with cancer

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ACTforKidsSaturday 11th May 2013
ACT for Kids Silver Gala Ball (25th Anniversary)
Details: $185 pp (Table $1885) at newly refurbished City Hall
Cause: Helping children who have experienced abuse and neglect, and families at risk

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JellyBabyBall2013Saturday 11th May 2013
Jelly Baby Ball 2013
Details: $219 pp (Table$2190) at Tattersalls Club Brisbane
Cause: raise funds and awareness of type 1 diabetes

 

 

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CCSSaturday 18th May 2013
Childhood Cancer Support Ball 2013
Details: $180 pp (table $1700)
Cause: to reduce the impact childhood cancer has on families

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youngcareFriday 31st May 2013
One Night for Youngcare
Details: $195 pp at Bacchus @ Rydges, South Bank
Cause: Youngcare believes that every young person deserves to live a young life, regardless of their care needs

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starlightSaturday 3rd June 2013
Starlight Five Chefs Dinner
Details: TBC
Cause: brightening the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families, throughout Australia

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RBWHFoundationSaturday 8th June 2013
RBWH Foundation Right Royal Affair
Details: $195 pp (Table $1950) at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Cause: To raise money for Royal Brisbane and Women´s Hospital to purchase vital pieces of equipment and to fund world-class clinical research conducted at the hospital

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varietyQLDSaturday 15th June 2013
Variety of Chefs Ball 2013
Details: $250 pp at Hilton Brisbane
Cause: helping empower Queensland kids who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs to live, laugh and learn

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RMHCSaturday 27th July 2013
Ronald McDonald House Charities Queensland Gala Ball
Details: $200 pp at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Cause: help seriously ill children and their families across Australia, all focused on making the journey to recovery as easy as possible

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SecondChanceFriday 6th September 2013
Swing into Spring for Second Chance Programme
Details: TBC
Cause: Second Chance supports a variety of different projects to help homeless women secure a home and return to independent living.

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BFFFriday 11th October 2013
Bulimba Fashion Festival for Charity
Details: $150 pp at Oxford 152 Bulimba
Cause: Toogoolawa School, helping teenagers at risk

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Did someone say giveaway?  Simply tell me which charity event you are going to in 2013, or about a charity event I have missed of the list, for your chance to win a Personal Planner.  I will draw lucky winner out of a hat on 31 March 2013 so subscribe to charityspam and get commenting! (one entry per person).

plannersinaline

Their planners provide you with endless design possibilities. You can change colour, text and design on front/back cover as well as inlay. There are also clever boxes for to-do list, gym session, preschool, idea of the week and weather. Friend’s and family member’s birthdays can also be added to the inlay directly from Facebook. They print and deliver the finished product directly to our your doorstep.  Check out their website and facebook page.

Posted in Breast Cancer, Brisbane Events, Children, Community, GIVING, Homelessness, KINDNESS, MND and Me Foundation, Mummy's Wish, Pay it forward, Second Chance, Uncategorized, Variety Queensland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Eat Out to Help Out

Posted on February 28, 2013 by

MOW-Eat-Out-LogoI love the little things in life that you can do to help someone else that makes a big difference.  Like, eating a piece of cheesecake that helps a charity…did I get your attention, yes you read correctly, cheesecake = helping a charity – is this the BEST fundraiser ever?

For the entire month of March Meals on Wheels Queensland are running an inaugural campaign for aptly called Eat Out to Help Out.  It is quite simple really, you go out for breakfast, lunch or dinner at a participating Eat Out to Help Out restaurant and donate a small part of your bill to Meals on Wheels Queensland. Some particpiating restaurants are even willing to match your donation, nice! Check out the list of restaurants here, all proceeds from the campaign go to helping deliver meals to the elderly and people with a disability.

Meals on Wheels Queensland make and deliver over 2.4 million meals a year to more than 10,000 isolated and homebound members of our community.  Apart from providing a healthy meal to clients, volunteers also offer support, care and a friendly face, and have been doing so for more than 50 years throughout Australia.

Meals on Wheels Queensland Chief Executive Officer Debra Tape said that every dollar collected will go to assisting local Meals on Wheels services provide meals for vulnerable community members. “We urge you to get involved and chip in to help out your local service by simply eating out at your local participating outlet.”

Need an excuse to catch up with a group of girlfriends?  Go on a date with your partner?  Continue my your search for cheesecake perfection?  Then check out the list here and get eating for a good cause!

Follow Meals on Wheels Queensland on twitter and facebook

 

Posted in Brisbane Events, CSR, Ethical Shopping, GIVING, KINDNESS, Meals on Wheels, Pay it forward | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment