|
Our relationship with Caprice began when they contacted the Club 4 years ago and were referred to Community Leader Peter Duras.  Caprice had several cartons of new children's' footwear to donate to a charity, and found us on the web. Frank O'Brien, Kevin Walklate and Peter responded quickly and distributed over 400 pairs of shoes, most of them decorated with the latest Marvel and Disney designs to Shine for Kids and DIK . Since then Caprice have contacted us twice a year to donate large quantities of children's' footwear, bed linen, raincoats and other contemporary items, the retail value of which probably exceeds $15,000. We've been able to spread our distribution to more than 8 charities including the Good Samaritan Inn, St. Vincent de Paul and Rob Hines' group in Cambodia. Sheryl Forrester from 'Shine for Kids' has told us on several occasions of the joy these gifts have brought to children who would otherwise have no opportunity to receive something so bright and popular . This is a highly valued partnership for RCM , one we wish to maintain and develop . Our contact member is Peter Duras . How we do it : 1. We continue to react promptly when called by Caprice . 2. We pick up the product quickly from their warehouse. 3. We sort the items. 4. We select appropriate charities and distribute. Photos; How many pairs of shoes does a lady need, Sue? Sheryl Forrester gratefully receiving shoes for Shine for Kids .jpg) | | | |
|
Those with Intellectual Disabilities are one of the most marginalised groups within prisons. They find it more difficult to transition to the community than other prisoners and find themselves coming back into the justice system at a greater rate than other groups. 
The initiative we’ve started this rotary year, procuring our weekly breakfast raffle prizes from social enterprises to build awareness for and promote their social missions, has got off to an amazing start. .jpg)
So far we have purchased from STREAT (coffee vouchers funding employment pathways), the Soup Place (soup funding meals for Melbourne’s homeless), RAM Jams (jams funding malaria prevention projects), Learmonth Foundation (curve cider funding regional development in the Ballarat region), Empower (Tibetan yak milk soaps whose producers are mostly girls and women whose lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS, human trafficking and abuse), Mildura Chocolate Co., and Aussie Biscuits (biscuits funding employment for those living with a disability)..jpg){kind=small}
To kick us off you were requested to donate a bottle, to subsidise as the additional raffle prize each week. Well done, 43 bottles of varying liquids and other substances so far from our generous members. 
.jpeg)
.JPG)
Using interactive iphone surveying (first time I’d seen it done), they tested our knowledge of the benefits of strength training and the rate at which strength declines after 25-30 without attention (1.5-2% per year, 25% by 65). Strength training at any age – even 80-90 – creates good benefits..jpg)
