South Queensland kids ‘make it happen’ for the Solomon Islands
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
Children attending a recent Salvation Army camp in Queensland have been encouraged to think beyond Australia’s needs, with each child being given a Lego money box to collect coins for an overseas cause.
The ‘Making it Happen’ project for 2023-24 aimed to raise $120,000 for a home and missional hub for corps officers in the Solomon Islands.
Commissioner Miriam Gluyas launched the project in July last year, and it will conclude in November. Majors Robert and Vanessa Evans, an Australian couple serving as District Officers in the Solomon Islands, identified this project as a significant goal for The Salvation Army’s mission.
Queensland Children’s Secretary Maree Southall came up with the idea for the Lego money boxes as a way to remind the children that they were part of building something. They were given to children at the South Queensland Kids Camp last week, who were then encouraged to fill them with coins throughout the month of October.
Following the South Queensland Kids Camp, the South Burnett Region Corps supported the drive through a coin collection during the Sunday service.
Making it Happen Project Coordinator Rowena Smith said the Lego money box drive was one of her highlights of the project.
“It doesn't really matter how much financial gain comes from the children’s participation,” Rowena said. “What matters is that they’ve had the opportunity to participate and feel that they’ve made a contribution and that, in turn, their congregation can encourage them and can validate what they’ve done.”
Rowena said getting involved in Making it Happen helped those who participated to keep a bigger, more global focus in mind. She said with the project almost complete, there was still time to organise simple donation drives.
“Even if it’s just maybe a love offering during a worship service [or] could even just be having a simple sausage sizzle fundraiser lunch after church,” she said. “There may not be time to do big organising of fundraising events, but just something simple that will still give people an opportunity to embrace the project and just do whatever we can.”
Retired Commissioner Jan Condon said the cause was such a worthy one in which to get involved.
“It is exciting to assist our brothers and sisters in a growing Salvation Army in the Solomon Islands,” she said. “Please make a contribution so that more people will come to know about Jesus.”
To find out more about Making it Happen, see here.
