The Morelander Edition 3, 2021-22

Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Moreland

EDITION 3|7 AUGUST 2021

THE MORELANDER

WHERE DO DISUSED AMBULANCE UNIFORMS GO?

Ambo Jo Algie tells us of many exciting and creative ways disused ambulance garments can be repurposed for community benefit

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Award of Excellence for Club Bulletin 2018-2019

Moreland Rotary acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands we conduct our business. Moreland Rotary respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. Moreland Rotary also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

Cover photo: David Redfearn

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Jo Algie tells us what we can do with disused ambulance uniforms Who would ever have imagined that a pair of ambulance cargo pants could transform into a shoulder bag and a pair of shorts?

This is one of the amazing possibilities for redundant ambulance uniforms and clothing described to us by Gippsland ambulance officer, Jo Algie, at our meeting last week.

Jo is based with Ambulance Victoria in Drouin and also runs a dairy farm. In fact, she had just come from milking cows to talk to us! Jo came to ambulance work 14 years ago as a midlife recruit bringing with her a strong sense of community. She spoke to our club via Zoom.

Jo told us quite a story about how she had become an ambo in middle age and, upon taking up her post in Gippsland, became aware of a stock of redundant ambulance uniforms and equipment that seemed destined to finish up in landfill. She wanted to do something to prevent such a waste of good quality items and we are referring to thousands of items of clothing and other equipment across Victoria.

Jo got busy and embarked on her “crazy” project two years ago to find new homes and new uses for those thousands of uniforms initially working with the Rotary Clubs of Drouin and Warragul to do so. Four and a half thousand pairs of pants went to places such as Vinnies, TAFE colleges for apprentices needing pants and even to Asian countries through Drouin Rotary and Donations in Kind. Six pallet loads went to a Bairnsdale op shop as did overalls with reflective material where they were snapped up by local tradies who availed themselves of these used but still very high quality garments.

The charity, Uniforms for Kids in Queensland and Melbourne, also became involved and this is where some creativity crept in via the aforementioned cargo pants turning into shoulder bags. The deep pockets and flaps of the pants were cut off and sewed together with the bottom leg material used to create the shoulder strap and the remaining part becoming a good pair of shorts. This charity sold them to raise funds to buy an ambulance vehicle to take children in palliative care on outings with their families during their last days of life.

Shirts were sent to paramedics in Thailand after removing the Ambulance Victoria badge on shirts while leaving the paramedic badge intact. Drouin and Warragul Rotary members along with

Warragul Lions worked on unpicking the ambulance badges firstly at a local venue and then from home during the pandemic.

The badges are removed very easily so this is a good project for service club volunteers and others in the community, something which can be scaled up or down according to the capacity of the club or organisation.

Jo made the point that volunteers such as Rotarians and Lions are trusted to do this potentially sensitive task as well as school children under teacher supervision. This more than allays the concerns of Ambulance Victoria management who are concerned about the protection of the brand from the misuse of labels. One attractive feature of the shirts is that they are light weight and need no ironing making them particularly suitable for hot climates in Asia as well as in Australia such as for Northern Territory aboriginal communities.

Another project was sending the good quality jumpers to Syrian Refugee camps where protection against the cold is essential. Once again, the badges come easily off these without damaging the garment.

It has been suggested that some of the removed badges could be used to make a mural for Ambulance Victoria HQ which may be a good project for design students.

Other suggestions for disposal are for homeless people and hospitals.

To date 5,000 shirts and cargo pants, 1,000 overalls and up to 2,000 jumpers have been distributed in various ways and redirected from landfill. Unused disposables such as needles have been also distributed; these have a use by date which may well not be of concern to the recipients as the items are still very sound.

The main take away from Jo’s presentation is that this is a very scalable project that is well within the capacity of our club, that the possibilities are endless, that it provides opportunities for community partnerships, that it addresses issues of environmental waste and can be a project ranging from being very local to having an international scope. We look forward to developing a productive club project out of this opportunity.

TEXT: DAVID REDFEARN | IMAGES:DAVID REDFEARN

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PROJECT MANAGER WANTED FOR THE BACKYARD FARMERS PROJECT

Moreland Rotary Club has been supporting the local community organisation Growing Farmers over the past year to establish their Backyard Farmers Project.

We have a shared vision for stronger communities and healthier environments.

We're pleased to say that they are now recruiting for a Project Manager to run the Backyard Farmers Project. Local Moreland and Fawkner residents are encouraged to apply.

Find out more at the Growing Farmers website. CLICK HERE or type in: https://www.growingfarmers.org. au/work-with-us IMAGES AND TEXT: GROWING FARMERS THE MORELANDER

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About Rotary District Governor's Newsletter

"Our District, Our Voice" is the monthly newsletter of District Governor Anne Reid in 2021-22.

There is a lot of information about the many Rotary projects and events across our District. Simply click here to read the latest edition Members of Rotary are part of a diverse group of community and professional leaders working to address community and international service needs and to promote peace and understanding throughout the world.

Rotary districts are a way of grouping a number of clubs in a particular geographic area. The area covered quite often crosses state and even international boundaries.

Rotary District 9790 encompasses the northern Rotary clubs receive a charter suburbs of Melbourne and from the worldwide organisation - stretches north and north east of Rotary International.

Victoria to the Murray River and up into parts of NSW. A Rotarian belongs to a particular Rotary Club often near his/her For more information about home or work or sometimes Rotary District 9790, click here because of the club meeting time.

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Rotary Leadership 2021-22 Rotary International: President: Shekha Mehta(Susanne) , Rotary Club of District Governor: Anne Reid , Rotary Club of Alexandra Assistant Governor Group 2: Emma Davis, Rotary Club of Moreland Rotary Club of Moreland President: Emma Davis Club Service Roles 2021-22

President President Elect Secretary Treasurer Community Service Vocational Services Membership, International Service and Assistant Bulletin Editor Rotary Foundation Youth and Assistant Secretary Club Administration and Governance Environment and Bulletin Editor Australian Rotary Health Public Relations Club History Valued members Honorary Members

Emma Davis TBA Rosemary Freeman John Hoffmann Rosemary Freeman Brian Bennett Trevor Moyle Rosemary Freeman Silvana De Pretto Nino Galgano and Lee Garwood David Redfearn OAM Rosemary Freeman Russell Stuckey and Brian Bennett Nino Galgano Elly Gardner, Jo Connellan The Hon. Kelvin Thomson, Helen Bailey, John Awler, Richard McCarthy

District 9790 /Multi District Roles 2021-22

Assistant Governor, Group 2 and Director, 2023 Convention Host Organising Committee District Community Service Chair and Australian Rotary Health District Legal Officer District Bulletin Editor and Peter Toomey Community Police Award Shine On Awards

Emma Davis Rosemary Freeman Nino Galgano David Redfearn OAM Brian Bennett

WHEN AND WHERE WE MEET:

Moreland Rotary Club meets most Wednesdays at 7.30 for a 7.40 am start.

We meet at the Sorrento Bar, 801 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 3056 HOW TO GET A COPY OF THE MORELANDER:

If you would like to receive our bulletin via email each week, email our editor at: dredfearn@vtown.com.au WHERE TO SEND FORMAL CORRESPONDENCE:

Attention: The Secretary, Moreland Rotary Club, PO Box 219, Coburg, Victoria, 3058

Chartered 14 August 1996 - Sponsor Club Coburg Rotary Club | Incorporated 13 August 2019 Designed using Canva - www.canva.com

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Images by David Redfearn and logos from rotary.org unless otherwise specified.

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Upcoming events and meetings A standing invitation exists for all readers of The Morelander to attend Moreland Rotary Club meetings and some of our other events. Please let us know if you intend to join us by ringing David Redfearn on 0448 852 747 or emailing on dredfearn@vtown.com.au (click on email address).

Upcoming speakers/events

11 August: Monthly Board meeting 18 August: Ginetta Mammarella, Youth Projects 25 August: Maggie Cowing, Australian Conservation Foundation 1 September: TBA

Our Guest Speakers

Moreland Rotary Club invites speakers to our club both from our local community and further afield. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and are invited because they hopefully inform and stimulate our members and guests. We feel that this is of value in fostering a deeper understanding of our diverse community and even providing guidance as to the types of activites and projects our club may engage in. However the opinions expressed by our speakers do not necessarily reflect any official viewpoint of Moreland Rotary nor those of individual club members. Irrespective of this we always offer a warm Rotary welcome to all of our speakers.

click here @RotaryMoreland

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During the pandemic we sometimes only meet via Zoom on Wednesday mornings from 7.30-8.30 am but, when we can, we meet in person at our usual venue (listed on page 6). You should contact us beforehand in case restrictions are in force but you can always join us on Zoom at any time and the link is below.

We always aim to have great guest speakers whether meeting in person or virtually!

Why not join us one morning? Simply ring David on 0448 852 747 the day before to RSVP or go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3068589175 just before the meeting to join in.