cofc.com.au/housing

Churches of Christ Housing Services Limited Resident Newsletter Spring 2017

Mitchelton Campus couple Sidney and Sylvia Celebrate 60th Wedding Anniversary

Read more page 4

In this edition 4 Mitchelton Campus couple

celebrate 60th wedding anniversary

6 Official opening of Wattle Apartments and Community Centre

6 Acacia Ridge Planting Day

7 Community gardening projects

8 Spring Cleaning checklist

10 What’s on

10 Tenant Advisory Group update

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Message from the Housing Coordinator

Welcome to the Spring

edition of HouseTalk.

Spring has sprung! Warmer weather, spring and "springtime" refer to the season, to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection, regrowth and it falls between the seasons of winter and summer. This is the perfect opportunity to air out and spring clean your homes. Have you ever wondered where the term ‘spring clean’ came from? Wonder no more, I can shed some light on this.

The practice of spring cleaning can

be traced back to Persian and

Jewish practices, the Jewish people

cleansed their homes in anticipation

of the Passover.

Traditionally, the Catholic Church

thoroughly cleans the church altar

and everything associated with it on

Maundy Thursday, the day before

Good Friday, in the spring.

In the southern hemisphere we

experience spring at a different time

of year, nonetheless the practice of

spring cleaning found its way here.

With spring upon us it would be a

shame to let a musty house spoil it.

Here are some tips to give the

season the welcome it deserves:

Clean your fridge out – throw out

old spoiled items give the inside

and outside a wipe down.

Clean the outside of your

windows with a rag and soapy

water, and then dry them with

another rag. You could try using

a squeegee if you have one.

If your curtains or blinds are

looking a little like something

from castle black, take them out

of the window, give them a good

shake, wipe them over and hang

them back in the windows.

Some comforters, blankets and

pillows don't need to be cleaned,

but they do need to be aired out

after a long winter in your closed-

up home. Take them outside and

hang them on a clothesline for a

day.

Refer to page eight for a handy

checklist. Also, be sure to you’re

your windows and doors to let in the

spring air.

I would also like to take this

opportunity to highlight the use of the

emergency phone and hopefully

save tenants some money for

unnecessary call outs:

If you lose power it is most likely

an Energex outage, please

check to see if your neighbours

are experiencing the same issue

before calling the after-hours

phone. You should also check

your meter box and safety

switch.

If you have a blocked sink, try

unblocking it with a product like

‘Drano’ or use a plunger.

Bad water leak? Switch the water

mains off and call after-hours

number.

A blocked toilet could be due to

excessive tissue paper use, be

cautious with this.

Prevent lock outs – purchase a

lock box. Contact your housing

officer for more information.

Floyd Stephens

Housing Coordinator

There is a Game of Thrones

reference in the above

somewhere, a $20 gift card

will go to the first person to

call and let me know the

reference and what it means.

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Message from the Chaplaincy Team Leader

Last newsletter, I spoke about trust being the foundation of any healthy relationship. Good communication is also essential for relationships to grow and thrive.

John Powell in his book “Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I am” tells us that there are five levels of communication, which are all essential to nurturing good personal relationships. These start at level five and get deeper as they progress down to level one.

Here, I go through what is

involved in each of the five

levels to help you become

better communicators and

build better relationships.

Level 5 - Small talk and banter

This is not necessarily deep

conversation but is the entry point

into getting to know each other and

having some fun together. A little

trust is required here.

Level 4 – Factual information

This is just keeping each other

informed of what is happening and

showing consideration in a

relationship particularly if one person

is relying on the other for something.

Trust that the information is correct

and reliable is needed here.

Level 3 – Revealing ideas and

opinions

It is at this level where our

communication starts to deepen and

others can get to know who we are

a bit more. This is where things can

become risky for us as people can

reject us on the basis of our ideas

and opinions. This is where trust

starts to become really important for

a healthy relationship to grow.

Level 2 – Speaking our thoughts

and feelings

It is only when we start sharing our

deep thoughts and feelings that

people can get to know who we

really are and make a judgement

about us. In sharing these we

become really vulnerable and the

potential for being hurt along with

that increases if what we share is

not respected by the other person.

Deep trust is essential when

communicating at this level.

Level 1 – Peak communication

This level of communication is

where both people are completely

vulnerable and mutually share their

deepest secrets and desires with

each other knowing that there is

complete safety and trust in the

other person. It is the deepest form

of communication that really glues a

relationship together.

Good communication is important to

build strong relationships and strong

relationships won’t grow unless we

learn to trust others and be

trustworthy ourselves. While there

are some people in our world that

cannot be trusted there are many

more that can be.

Being trustworthy and respectful are

great virtues to be pursued and will

greatly improve the community in

which we live. Can I encourage all

people to nurture these virtues

within their own lives and build a

better world for everyone?

God bless!

Murray Thomson

Community Chaplaincy

Team Leader

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Sidney and Sylvia celebrate 60 years

Sidney and Sylvia have been together for over 60 years and celebrated their diamond anniversary on 10 August 2017.

The couple met in March 1954 and got engaged in September of the same year. They tied the knot in 1957 in a very intimate ceremony at the Woodford Baptist Church.

Sylvia describes the secret to a long and happy marriage – “sometimes you have to know when to keep your mouth shut and be careful with your words. A lot of arguments often stem from saying the wrong thing.”

The couple lived and raised their nine children in remote parts of NSW were Sidney worked in saw mills as a saw mill technician. The life of a saw miller was hard and demanding physical labour and paid below minimum wage. Sidney’s skills were often required at other sill mills for maintenance and troubleshooting. The amenities in the remote communities, including the homes the couple and their family lived in, were very primitive.

Sidney was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and lives in Moonah Park Aged Care Service in the specialist dementia care area, while Sylvia lives in Dianella Apartments, co-located with Moonah Park at the Churches of Christ Campus Mitchelton.

“We found out about Moonah Park from our eldest son Peter. Peter helped set up the archives at the Historical Resource Centre. He came home one day and told Sid and I how wonderful Moonah Park was. It was meant to be. Country saw mill living is very substandard and moving to Moonah Park felt like winning the lottery,” Sylvia said.

Sylvia spoke about her greatest achievement in her marriage.

“Our greatest achievement having been married to one another for 60 years is our nine children. Our children are exemplar citizens, wonderful and compassionate people. They are each gifted in their own way and have been very successful in their career pursuits. There is a giftedness that runs in our family and this has been passed on to our 30 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

The couple’s son Peter spoke of his memories growing up.

“My mum’s greatest gift to me was reading and literature. This inspired my career in and love of teaching. We endured tough times growing up and got by with very little – there were times when we had no food in the pantry. But most importantly we always felt loved and appreciated by our parents.”

“we are lucky and blessed to have made it to our 60th wedding anniversary,” Sylvia said.

Sidney, a trained baritone, performed ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning’ at such a special celebration.

They celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with an afternoon tea with fellow Moonah Park residents, friends and family.

Congratulations Sidney and Sylvia!

Sidney and Sylvia celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at Moonah Park with friends and family (left). The couple received a card

from the Queen to celebrate their landmark anniversary (right).

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Nominate a good neighbour The ‘Resident of the Season’ awards are now open to nominations from residents (as well as our staff). If your neighbour, who is also a Churches of Christ Housing Services’ resident, has gone ‘above and beyond’ in your eyes, why not nominate them for the award!

This will give them a chance to win a $20 gift voucher and a ‘Resident of the Season’ certificate of recognition. You can contact your housing officer, community chaplain or local site office to pass on their name and the reason why you think they deserve the award. Winners are announced in each season’s “HouseTalk” newsletter.

Going ‘above and beyond’ could include residents who:

assist with community barbeques and events

volunteer in their local community—such as gardening or cleaning

help their neighbours with daily activities

offer their skills to the community–such as language classes or handyman services

participate in community development initiatives—such as Social Enterprise or Tenant Advisory Group

The lucky winners will be selected from the nominations.

This season we would like to congratulate:

Peter - Labrador

Peter is very helpful in times of need. He volunteers to unblock the rubbish

shoot and provide assistance to others in his community.

Making Ends Meet – free community event DEALING WITH DEBT AND LIVING ON A BUDGET

Tuesday 17 October 10am – 2pm New Inala Hall @ Inala Civic Centre

Wirraway Parade, Inala

Free barbeque lunch Lucky door prizes

Giveaways Kids activities

Fun, hands-on & creative

Do you struggle to pay your bills? Pay the rent? Keep food on the table?

If yes, come along a get information and advice on a

range of services and programs. For more information, email

hubadmin@communitylegal.org.au or phone 3372 3770.

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Official opening of Wattle Apartments and Community Centre

From left: Gary Edwards (CofCQ Chair), Peter Russon MP, The Hon. Mick de Brenni (Minister for Housing and Public Works), Frances Paterson-Fleider (General Manager, CofCHS), David Swain (Chief Operating Officer)

Churches of Christ in Queensland officially unveiled its newest community housing development in Acacia Ridge on Thursday 12 July 2017. It was opened by the Hon. Mick de Brenni, Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Sport and is part of the Churches of Christ Campus Acacia Ridge with Brig-O-Doon aged care services and retirement village.

The Nunukul Yuggera Jargums, traditional Aboriginal dancers gave an inspiring performance to celebrate the opening.

The event also marked an important milestone for Churches of Christ in Queensland, as Wattle Apartments formally received EnviroDevelopment Certification for exceptional performance in all six environmentally sustainability elements – ecosystems, waste, energy, materials, water and community.

Thank you to the Wattle Apartments residents who joined in the celebrations.

Community planting day On 23 June, residents from Churches of Christ Campus Acacia Ridge, including Brig-O-Doon Aged Care Service, Brig-O-Doon Retirement Village and Wattle Apartments came together with gloves and gardening tools to plant trees, shrubs, herbs and build planter boxes to enhance their shared communal areas and green spaces.

The planting day was an opportunity to build social connections between the campus residents and contribute positively to their environment.

A gardener assisted the resident volunteers with horticultural expertise and the residents shared in a barbeque lunch to reward their hard work.

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New and returning staff

We welcome the following staff to our

housing team:

Prathyusha Talasila Service Support Officer – Business

Support

Kerry Conlon Service Support Officer – Receptionist

(Brisbane)

Martin Bird Senior Housing Officer

Kellea Siegle Housing Administration Officer (Bribie

Island and Caloundra)

Community garden projects Two community garden projects are well underway at our Hunter Street and Bruce Street complexes. The Hunter Street community garden is in response to residents’ concerns that children living in the complex didn’t have access to safe spaces to play outdoors.

Two residents volunteered to have part of their backyards sectioned off to allow for a fenced space for children and other residents to enjoy. A couple of the young residents assisted with building the fence and the others worked together to host barbeques at Bunnings to fundraise for this initiative.

Not far from completion, there is some further cement work to be done, with Bunnings kindly donating a shed, table and barbeque. When finished the garden will offer a safe and interactive place for children to play with raised garden beds for herbs and edible plants, and a space for residents to enjoy a barbeque.

The residents at Bruce Street, housing staff, Housing Chaplain Lynne Feldon and volunteers from the Whitehill Church of Christ, held a working bee recently to clear a space at the complex and get it ready for the garden.

The residents will soon commence the induction training at Bunnings to host a barbeque to fundraise for their garden.

A view of the new Hunter Street area especially built to give children a safe place to play.

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Spring cleaning checklist With the weather warming up, this is the perfect time to tackle your spring cleaning. Below is a handy spring cleaning checklist which has been organised room by room. Household staples such as vinegar, lemon and baking soda are among some of the best natural cleaners which will help you do the job without all the harmful chemicals.

All rooms Open windows and doors Clean windows and window sills Vacuum curtains Dust corners for cobwebs Sweep and mop floors Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures Replace light bulbs as needed Disinfect door knobs, cabinet

handles and light switches Kitchen Throw out old food Clean the inside of the fridge and

freezer Reorganise the pantry Clean the microwave, oven,

stovetop and range hood Wipe and disinfect the counters Clean the dishwasher, toaster,

and any other appliances Sanitise sink and clean drain Wash the kitchen bin Clean behind and beneath

refrigerator Laundry Clean behind washer and dryer

Bedroom Organise draws and closets Wash bedding and pillows Rotate mattress

Living room Wipe down the TV and any other

electronics Dust corners for cobwebs Wash cushions and couch covers Clean the blinds and curtains

Bathroom Organise cabinets and drawers Discard expired medicine Clean backsplash and countertops Clean the shower, tub, and sink Scrub the toilet Wipe down the shower curtains

Outdoors Tidy up the backyard and patio Clean the entryway Hose out garbage/recycling bins

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Recipe: Chargrilled sausages with sweet potato salad Easy dinner recipe for the warmer weather

Preparation Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 30 mins Serves: 4

Ingredients

500g small sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2cm-thick slices 500ml tomato, onion and garlic sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

8 (560g pkt) Coles Beef, Herb & Garlic Sausages

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1 tablespoon Coles Italian Red Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon Coles Wholegrain Mustard

40g Coles Australian Baby Spinach & Rocket

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

Method

1. Position a rack in the bottom half of oven and preheat oven to 200C (180C fan-forced). Preheat a large heavy baking tray in hot oven for at least 10 mins.

2. Add macaroni and gently boil for 8-10 minutes. For the last 3 minutes of cooking, add cannellini beans and mixed frozen vegetables.

3. In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on hot tray. Roast, turning the sweet potatoes over as needed, for 25-30 mins or until sweet potatoes are golden brown and tender.

4. Meanwhile, preheat a chargrill pan over medium-high heat. Chargrill the sausages for 12-15 mins or until caramelised and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

5. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the vinaigrette, spinach and rocket mixture and red onion. Transfer the salad to a large serving platter.

Serve the sausages with the sweet potato salad.

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Brisbane

Eat Street Markets: Friday and Saturday evenings 4 - 10pm, 17 MacArthur Ave, Hamilton City Farmers Market: 8am – 6pm Wednesdays (top of the Queen St Mall), George St, Brisbane Rocklea Markets: 6am – 12pm Saturday - Fresh Market and Sunday - Discovery Market Sherwood Road, Rocklea Carseldine Farmers & Artisan Markets: 6am – 12pm Saturdays, 532 Beams Rd, Carseldine Eagle Farm Markets: 7am-12:30pm Sundays Racecourse Road, Ascot Nundah Farmers Markets: 6am-12pm Sundays Station Street, Nundah For more Brisbane event information visit: www.visitbrisbane.com.au

Ipswich

Ipswich Twilight Markets: 4pm to 8pm Fridays Ipswich City Square Markets in the Mall: 8am-12pm Saturdays Ipswich City Mall Handmade Expo and Vintage Market: 8am-1pm 4th Saturday of the month Ipswich Turf Club For more Ipswich event information visit: www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/about_ipswich/community-events

Gold Coast

Broadbeach Markets: 8am-2pm First and third Sundays, Kurrawa Park, Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach Burleigh Markets: 8am-2.30pm Last Sunday of the month, Justins Park, The Esplanade, Burleigh Head Mudgeeraba Sunset Markets: 4pm-8pm Fridays Mudgeeraba Showgrounds, 115 Mudgeeraba Road, Worongary Coolangatta Markets: 8am-2.30pm Second Sundays of month Queen Elizabeth Park, Marine Parade, Coolangatta Surfers Paradise Beachfront Markets: 4pm-9pm Wed, Fri and Sundays The Esplanade Surfers Paradise For more Gold Coast event information visit: goldcoast.qld.gov.au

Sunshine Coast

Caloundra Street Fair: 8am - 1pm Sundays Bulcock Street, Caloundra

Creative Incubator pop-up markets: First Saturday every month, Sunshine Plaza Level One, Maroochydore

For more Sunshine Coast event information visit: events.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Tenant

Advisory

Group

(TAG)

Update

Thank you to the Tenant Advisory Group (TAG) for reviewing our past Feedback, Complaints and Appeals Brochure. Your collective ideas and feedback have greatly assisted us in updating this brochure. The new and improved brochure is now available at your local housing office or simply phone our office on 3327 1674 to request a copy.

TAG meetings are held every three months, alternating between central and regional group meetings in Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. TAG is an opportunity to meet new people, have your say about tenancy issues and hear from guest speakers.

The next central meeting will be held in in the new year and the next regional meeting will be this December. If you would like to attend—but have never been to a meeting like this before—call us on 07 3327 1674 and we will tell you all about it and let you know how to register.

Regional TAG Meetings

Week beginning Friday

4 December 2017.

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After-hours service

We know that sometimes there are problems you

encounter after-hours; this is why we have the after-hours

phone service so you can contact us in an emergency.

Remember, this number 1800 446 604 is for emergencies

and is only turned on when our offices are closed.

This service is managed by a single on-call staff member.

At times when more than one emergency is being

managed, it can reduce their ability to respond as a

number of calls are usually required to emergency

services, contractors or other residents.

We will endeavour to return calls within 30 minutes;

however, this is not always possible. Please do not text

the after-hours number as it does not receive messages.

Friendly tenancy reminders

It is important to air your home to prevent mould.

Open up curtains, blinds and windows daily as mould

thrives in closed-up, dark and stuffy rooms.

Report any suspected illegal activity to police and to

Churches of Christ Housing Services.

Get spare keys cut to give to a family member or friend

to avoid lock-outs.

Tenant Advisory Group

Tenant Advisory Group meetings are held every three

months, alternating between central and regional group

meetings in Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Sunshine

Coast.

The next regional meetings will be held in December. If

you would like to attend—but have never been to a

meeting like this before—call us on 07 3327 1674 and we

will tell you all about it and let you know how to register.

Upcoming dates

Mental Health Week 8 – 14 October

Anti-Poverty Week 15-21 October

White Ribbon Day 25 November

Office hours

Office hours are Monday to Friday.

Brisbane Phone 07 3327 1674 8.30am–4.30pm

Ipswich Phone 07 3436 8900 8.30am–4.30pm

Gold Coast Phone 07 5539 7655 8.30am–4.30pm

Please note that Churches of Christ Housing Services’

offices will be closed on public holidays.

Public holiday closures:

Queen’s Birthday – Monday 2 October 2017

Temporary absence reminder

Residents who need to take a prolonged absence away

from their home can submit an application.

All tenants are obligated to advise their landlord for any

absence longer than two weeks. This ensures any issues

can be appropriately managed while the property is

unattended.

While you are away from your home you will still be

charged rent and you will still be responsible for things

such as garden maintenance and security. You will also be

required to complete the annual rent and eligibility

assessment process if this is required at the time you are

away.

Contribute to HouseTalk!

We love to hear from you and want to include your

stories in HouseTalk!

If you have an article, photo, art, poetry, recipe or story

from your community, then email us at

housingservices@cofcqld.com.au or phone 07 3327 1674

to discuss your idea or contribution.

You can also submit content, articles or ideas to your

Housing Officer, Community Chaplain or local office.

About us Churches of Christ in Queensland has been an active part of the community since 1883. We have a significant presence in Queensland, Victoria and Vanuatu with hundreds of local services. Our staff and volunteers positively impact tens of thousands of lives each year. We operate a range of missional and community care services to assist families, the elderly and people in need through church communities and our care services groups operated through Churches of Christ Care and Churches of Christ Housing Services.

We are one of Australia’s largest and most diverse not-for-profit organisations, operating services throughout Queensland and Victoria. Active in the areas of children, youth and family services; community housing; retirement living; home and community care; and residential aged care services, we provide Christ-inspired care and compassion to vulnerable people at different stages of their life journey.

Churches of Christ Housing Services provide community housing and housing support options for individuals and families who earn low incomes, are discriminated against in the private housing market, or who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Head Office

41 Brookfield Road

Kenmore Queensland 4069

07 3327 1674 cofc.com.au