CELEBRATING OUR MEMORIES 30 YEARS OF CONNECTIONS CELEBRATING. Issue 8 THE PIONEERS NEW HEIGHTS COMLINK TODAY THE FUTURE 30 YEARS.

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1 CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF CONNECTIONS Issue 8 CELEBRATING THE PIONEERS NEW HEIGHTS COMLINK TODAY THE FUTURE 30 YEARS Find us on OUR MEMORIES FROM 1987 TO 2017

2 CELEBRATING Issue 8 30 YEARS OF CONNECTIONS The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt. The Pioneers New Heights ComLink Today The Future 30 Years

3 1987 THE PIONEERS It s amazing to think that some of ComLink and Kawana Companions earliest pioneers are still as active with the organisation today as they were when things began. Jean Hughes (left) is one of the original founders of an organisation known as Caloundra HACC (now known as ComLink.) Trudy (right) is one of the original founders of Kawana Companions and is still just as active today as she was then. CALOUNDRA HACC ComLink was started by a small group of representatives who made up the Caloundra & District Welfare Council. Together they saw a need for more mental health support services and support for the frail and elderly on the Sunshine Coast. Originally things 4 K A W A N A C O M PA N I O N S started small with volunteers using their own vehicles. Year by year the service grew in popularity and demand, led by a tireless team of volunteers working out of a little grey house in Caloundra. Kawana Companions is a social group with as much history, character and integrity as the small band of innovative, church-goers and community members who founded the organisation back in Throughout the years Kawana Companions has seen an eclectic range of entertainment, and has no plans of stopping any time soon. 5

4 JUST DO IT I ve been with ComLink for about fifteen years now and witnessing the growth from two to three people to 400 or 500 people helped per day has been an amazing experience. Meeting so many people and being able to help them out gives me a lot of pleasure and makes life a lot more interesting. Ron Stanfield, Driver (Sunshine Coast)

5 Here s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. the ones who see things differently they re not fond of rules You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can t do is ignore them because they change things Steve Jobs HOW NEVER SAYING NO TOOK STAC TO SOARING NEW HEIGHTS If you were to walk through our STAC office any time between 2007 and 2014 you d instantly notice how bubbly everyone was. It was the members of STAC s passion and enthusiasm that seemed to draw people in, giving them fulfillment and joy. Job seekers would volunteer to fill their weekly quota, but then never want to leave. STAC gave these people purpose, as it did all their staff and volunteers, and soon people started talking. Word of mouth was everything - never did STAC spend a single dollar on advertising. This was the key to STAC s expansion. It was this time period that STAC cultivated much of what ComLink s company culture looks like today. Visionaries like Feda Adra knew the benefits of never saying no and treating guidelines exactly for what they are - guidelines. If a client needed to go to Brisbane but STAC didn t service Brisbane, you could bet they d find a way to get them there. Like a pyramid built on a steady foundation, it was STAC s village mentality that helped ComLink become what it is today. (Left - John Muir Previous Treasurer Right - Mick Graham Former Chairman) 8 9

6 C E L E B R A T E CELEBRATING COMLINK TODAY 2017 ComLink today is about whole of life care. Assisting people to remain independent and age in their own homes. There are over 25,000 clients registered with ComLink with a team of 150 staff and 220 volunteers. Today ComLink is about having positive and happy people contributing to the greater good; a cause that changes people s lives for the better. LEFT Now more than ever, ComLink is proving that it s an organistion for new ideas, innovative concepts and growth

7 For innovative, humanist organisations like As technology changes, so do our needs and expectations. is well aware of what it needs to ComLink, do to build a brighter, the happier future. Losteriocum. isn t C. Ahabemq uertiem, Catatab emuritrae cles se molus nos estre ca; et dius vastrib essimum tribus ia se adhum peris, tero, cii pri porus, Cupio ete condem in nimurobuste nostebefex cars. se, It sperfinere will etem be et a vente, future que que intela quiusa ingulia vatus publina, cont. Catquam. Quist a ressum that que uses estiae ala veri technology pratict orursu critum publient. to Ost verris, nerica; nos hicateris vigilintis esti, Cati, aperfero, faciend uconfit vit, cotil converrit vid in senat, all about robots and flying assist in our human-first approach to care. THE FUTURE OF AGED CARE IS AT OUR FINGER TIPS It s true that different generations have different expectations for their own retirement, but what will be the expectation of Baby Boomers, and how will that differ from Millenials? We re now seeing more and more retirees opting out of the nursing home and into a lifestyle that suits them, on their terms. What exactly will this shift look like if we don t take the full spectrum of human needs into consideration? The last thing we want is an ageing population that s bored, which is why the most important thing we could focus on for the future is our sense of community. We need to build communities where everyone is active. With our expansive regions barely supporting their everexpanding populations, it s safe to say that we ve left our village mentality and with our increasing population it s now more important than ever that we move back to that. If we aren t building communities where people look after each other, what s the point of aged care at all? In Denmark they re already building innovative, technologically-driven nursing homes which take these needs into consideration. These homes feel more like communities, where the principles of inclusion (not just in the home, but also the local and global community), exercise, and mental stimulation are at the forefront. For innovative, humanist organisations like ComLink, the future isn t all about robots and flying cars. It will be a future that uses technology to assist in our humanfirst approach to care, and it will be a bright and happy place

8 30 YEARS On Saturday November 4th, ComLink held itself a small, quiet, birthday affair for 270 of our closest friends! We got together from all over Queensland to celebrate 30 years of success in serving the community. With dinner, drinks and a pumping live band, it was truly a night to remember for all.

9 CELEBRATING 30 YEARS On Saturday November 4th ComLink celebrated an incredible milestone, our 30 year anniversary! Staff, volunteers and VIPs from across the country gathered to partake in a night of acknowledgment and celebration. ComLink acknowledged its founders with reflections from its valued alumni. Former committee members and board directors Jean Hughes, Mick Graham and Bruce Warrell shared their journeys and wove together the story of how ComLink came to be the greatest care organisation in the world. The gala was upbeat with our very funny emcee Dante Ceccon, who kept the crowd of 270 guests on their toes. Our live house band for the evening had everyone up and dancing and was cheered on into giving a much-needed encore. Nobody wanted the night to be over! Luckily everyone took a memento of the night in the photo booth that they could keep and cherish

10 H A P P Y B I R T H DAY C O M L I N K! Sometimes people come into your life for a moment, a day, or a lifetime. It matters not the time they spent with you but how they impacted your life in that time

11 30 YEARS OF CARE CELEBRATING OUR ANNIVERSARY Find us on