Make a Digger Smile

February 21, 2012

RSL CARE PARCEL PROGRAM – $25 TO MAKE A DIGGER SMILE

Currumbin RSL will be home to the Gold Coast District RSL Care Parcel packaging on Thursday March 1.

The Care Parcel Program is a generous and heart warming initiative of sending small items, synonymous with Australia, to soldiers in Afghanistan. It was started in 2006 by Father Len and his wife, Mrs Anne Harrop. Alone, they identified recipients in Afghanistan, researched the administration of the parcels, sourced goods, packed and posted them. At the end of 2008, deteriorating health prevented Fr Len and Anne from continuing the work and sadly Father Len passed away Friday 17th July 2009.

Gold Coast District Council resolved to take the project on board with the aim of sending 100 parcels every 3 months to troops serving in Afghanistan. They rely on support from the community by way of donations and the quarterly packaging efforts. Betty Robinson, Gold Coast RSL District Secretary says, “We are always grateful to receive any donation, be it money or goods. We generally like to send packages of lightweight products like Tim Tams, vegemite and peanut butter, in tubes, no glass please, fun sized packets of BBQ shapes, coffee sachets, hand sanitizer… the list goes on and each package equates to about $25”.

The significance of these parcels to an active soldier on foreign shores is remarkable. Currumbin RSL board received a heartfelt letter from Sergeant Paul Dehnert who is serving with the Australian Army in Uruzgan province in Afghanistan.

“I am writing to express my thanks to your RSL for your very generous and welcome care packs. I am part of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team, which is a complex Army way of saying that I live, train and fight with the Afghan National Army. We are proud to have an association with Australian Army Training Team Vietnam. We live in remote patrol bases and face cultural challenges galore: so getting support from home is a huge morale raiser.”

Suzanne Russ from Banora Point contacted the Club on behalf of her son Sergeant Clint Russ because he wanted to personally thank the board for his care parcel and let them know how much it meant. While on leave from Afghanistan, Sergeant Russ visited Currumbin RSL and enjoyed a beer with Club President Ron Workman OAM, Vice president Bill Thompson, Secretary Gordon Armstrong and Treasurer Ron Martin.

Between December 2008 and December 2009, 520 parcels were sent to troops serving in Afghanistan and on HMAS Melbourne. In 2010, parcels were packed on four occasions with a total of 439 parcels being sent and over 500 parcels were sent in 2011.

The program now includes sending care packs to the Explosive Detection Dogs and their handlers and on Thursday March 1, the first Care Parcel day for 2012, a group of volunteers from Currumbin RSL’s Veteran’s Support Centre, some of the Club’s board members and Ms. Robinson, join forces to package up the Aussie treats.

A donation of $25 will gift a digger with a care parcel. For anyone wishing to donate goods or money, you may do so at Currumbin RSL on Thursday March 1. Betty and the team will be set up along the banks of Currumbin Creek right near the Currumbin RSL cenotaph from 10am.
For more information call Betty on 5526 3317

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