Westfield Local Heroes

Stationery Aid Ltd

Jan’s innovative charity, Stationery Aid, collects, sorts, cleans, and renews used school education resources destined for landfill, and gives them to disadvantaged children across Southeast Queensland, Australia and the Pacific.

Saint Vincent De Paul

Madonna volunteers daily to support vulnerable people in her community, including the homeless, elderly, and mentally and physical ill. Through her work with various charities, she helps ensure people in need have food, financial aid, and emotional support. Widely respected, she’s seen as a mother figure to many, always offering compassion and a helping hand.

Bridgecare Ltd

As CEO of Bridgecare Ltd, Jodi Traves aims to provide judgement-free, community-led support to vulnerable people in our community.Jodie coordinates a team of 80 volunteers and two part-time employees to provide community support for around 230 homeless people and distribute 30-40 food hampers weekly. In the current cost-of-living crisis, requests for assistance are only growing.

LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation

Ben Bjarnesen founded the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation to bridge gaps in service and support within LGBTQ+ communities. The foundation provides crucial education and resources, reaching over 7.3 million people in the past year. Ben’s work also promotes safer, more inclusive support systems in government and non-government agencies.

A Brave Life

Bianca Campling is the Baby Bundle Coordinator at A Brave Life. She supports vulnerable new mothers facing domestic violence, homelessness and mental health issues. Bianca provides essential baby items to over 1,500 mothers annually, ensuring they are equipped to care for themselves and their newborns. Her dedication profoundly impacts the community, offering vital resources and support.

Wesley Mission Queensland

John (Grumpy) Bigmore spends many volunteer hours maintaining peaceful gardens for families of children with a life-limiting condition. Grumpy, as John is fondly known, is an experienced and talented landscape gardener. He offered his services to Hummingbird House Children’s Hospice to give back for the wonderful care his granddaughter Kyleesha received there before she passed
away.

Guide Dogs Qld

Inspirational Guy Mauger is a super volunteer for Guide Dogs Queensland, opening his home to dozens of dogs, raising funds and providing transport to vision-impaired adults and children
during their training. Recently, Guy has played a significant role in a pilot project to support children giving evidence in court.

Compassion 4 Community

Caring Olive Volavola is the founder of Compassion 4 Community, which prepares hundreds of healthy meals for people in need. The volunteer-run charity operates in Nundah three days a week. There’s food and companionship for everyone and Olive makes time to offer guests a friendly hug
or to have a chat.