CHAPPY CHAT

I am pleased to report that the Rainbow Beach Community Pantry is continuing to meet a need with families and single people calling in on a regular basis to access frozen meals, refrigerated products, and dry goods.

Generous locals continue to drop off supplies when a call out for items is shared on the Words Out Rainbow Beach Facebook page. Victory Care at Maryborough and Gympie and cafes in Rainbow Beach and Gympie regularly donate frozen meals which have been greatly appreciated.

If you would like to donate items, please contact Chappy Ronnie on 0413 135 867 or call in at the church in Carlo Road 1-3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Woolies at Cooloola Cove donate frozen goods, refrigerated food, pantry items, snacks, and household supplies which are picked up on Thursday mornings that are then passed on to locals through the pantry. They are on a mission to reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfill to 0% by 2025 and we are helping with that!

The Rainbow Beach Learning Community has had a great start with children and teenagers enjoying art, craft, photography, sewing, computer skills, cooking, and outdoor activities such as yabby pumping and learning fishing skills.

We have some amazingly skilled people living amongst us who are happy to share their knowledge and experience. Mo Riggs from Mocean Art is teaching the older children grassroot skills such as making paint and crayons from natural products that will be used to create beautiful art works.

The younger children have created “ouchy pouchies” and cup warmers using basic sewing skills taught by Bec. Jess McKenzie, Rainbow Beach’s own wedding photographer, is passing on her knowledge to help our budding photographers. Mike is enthralling his group with the basics of how computers work.

Tina, Chrissy, Kerry, and Martine are using their skill in the kitchen to help the children create fantastic food which is then shared for lunch.

Joe and Jess have fishing in their blood and are passing on their passion to the next generation teaching them how to find yabbies and cast a bait net. Soon they will actually do some fishing!

On Tuesday afternoons, Sarah Booth and Dean Marshall from Rainbow Beach Learn to Surf are providing their local knowledge and leadership with water and bush activities to give the children a safe, enjoyable outdoor afternoon.

We are looking for locals who have interesting skills or are passionate about what they do to come along on Thursday mornings to inspire our young people.

In February, Jan Waters from Turtlecare shared about what is happening with turtles on our local beaches and the perilous life of a baby turtle. If you would like to come along and share about what floats your boat, please contact Ronnie.

An exhibition of work created in Term 1 will be open to the public on Tuesday 7 April at the Rainbow Beach Community Centre from 5-7pm with the entry fee of a gold coin donation going towards future activities of the Learning Community.

The 2022 Sandcastle Competition is happening again on Wednesday 13 April, on the beach near the SLS tower with registration from 8.30am. The competition starts at 9am with judging by Sandshapers of Noosa at 11am and prize-iving at 11.30am.

Last year’s competition saw hundreds of locals and visitors on the beach creating amazing sand sculptures and winning great prizes donated by local businesses. Cooloola Coast Realty and Rainbow Beach Realty have kindly sponsored Sandshapers of Noosa who will be back creating an amazing sand sculpture to inspire us.

Make sure that you save the date and start getting a team together to plan and build your sand creation.

Ronnie Timperon