Rosie’s is a non profit organization with over 1,300 active volunteers across Queensland. Rosie’s aims to serve the homeless, socially isolated or those at risk within the community. They choose to focus on offering support to the Moreton Bay community by providing food, snacks and conversations to anyone that would like to join. They are dedicated to providing aid to those in need through a range of programs and services.
One of Rosie’s main initiatives in the Moreton Bay Region is the street outreach program. This program sees volunteer teams dispatched into the neighbourhood with the iconic Rosie’s van to conduct these sessions. The vans provide snacks, drinks, and conversations to anyone within the community that is wanting to join in. Emotional support and conversation are Rosie’s main focus within the community, with a belief that a friendly smile, a cuppa and a conversation can help individuals build confidence and change someone’s self-worth.
The Youth Engagement Program is a way in which Rosie’s engages with the wider community. Student and youth engagement is a long standing tradition at Rosie’s after being established in 1975 as a youth mission in Melbourne. This program allows young people in the community to engage and interact with patrons and to develop and understand the benefits of community engagement. Over the years more than 1,500 students and young people from 60 different community groups and schools have been involved in supporting Rosie’s patrons though their youth program.
The organization is the longest serving community organization at Schoolies in Queensland, having attended the weeklong celebration since 1987. They aim to support school leavers to make responsible decisions while they celebrate by providing a safe space for all young people. Rosie’s works alongside 19 other government and non-government agencies as a part of the Gold Coast Schoolies Week Community Safety Response.
Rosie’s Friends on the Street rely heavily on dedicated volunteers in Queensland. On The Street Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 4 hours once a month to outreach. Volunteers will be apart of a team that goes out onto the street, during this time the team will spend 2hrs interacting and having a cuppa with patrons.
Overall, Rosie’s is a significant organization when it comes to providing community support in the Moreton Bay Region. Through their outreach and community engagement projects Rosie’s provide an integral service within the community. The organisations presence is a great support to many at risk individuals and has a significant impact on the lives of many vulnerable people living within the Moreton Bay Region.
