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Category: Community Interests

This Category Is For Local Communities, Statewide, Nationwide, International And Online Community For Those Who Like To Feel Part Of A Community And To Encourage All Of Us To Think Outside The Square Where We Reside Personally And Expand Our Vision.

Published on Leave a comment on Tory Was Battling Drug Addiction And In Jail When One Chance Led Her To A ‘New Life’

By Herlyn Kaur - ABC July 2020

THIS IS EXCEPTIONAL, AND THAT'S BECAUSE COMPASSION IS PLAYING A ROLE - WITH PRACTICAL APPLICATION. THIS IS A GOOD BALANCE. IT IS UNFAIR HOW MANY CHILDREN AND TEENS ARE BROUGHT UP. LET'S GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND EMBRACE HER STORY - IT'S ONE OF HOPE. HERE IS SOMEONE WHO TURNED HER STORY AROUND WITH SOME HELP AND OTHERS WILL FOLLOW. WELL DONE AUSSIES!

Tory Puntigam-Locke has come a long way from where she was only a year ago. The 27-year-old was addicted to drugs and serving a prison sentence at Perth's Melaleuca Women's Prison at that point.

"My family has been quite dysfunctional, there's been violence, there's been addiction throughout my family," she said. "I fell pregnant at 17 and I was made to abort that baby and I self-harmed."

Young Woman Forsakes Meth And Finds New Future In WA Reabilitation Centre - Restored

A stint in a mental institution followed but things did not improve after Ms Puntigam-Locke got out. "I was looking for something to escape all that guilt and pain and for a while nothing really worked and then I found meth," she said.…

Published on Leave a comment on Former Musician Turns to Gardening In The Pandemic – Others Are Doing This!

ABC Wide Bay / By Eliza Goetze July 2020

Up until earlier this year, Luen Free was typically in a dimly lit nightclub, entertaining.

But with the Coronavirus pandemic putting her and many others out of work, she is using the time to pursue her other passion: Organic Farming.

And with the pandemic leaving fewer backpackers who typically go 'WWOOFing' — volunteering on organic farms — Australians are being encouraged to help out on home soil. Soaking up knowledge.

WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms, a worldwide movement that has connected thousands of volunteers — many of them travellers — with farmers who offer food and a bed in exchange for gardening know-how.

From DJ To Permaculture During Pandemic

G'Day Farm co-founder, Greg Dixon, said he and his wife Dionne would struggle to run the farm smoothly without WWOOFers.

They welcome a small number of regular volunteers, who donate a few hours each week, as well as visitors like Luen and her husband Patch who stay for a week or more. "Each WWOOFer we've had, they've been great — a huge help," Mr Dixon said.

WWOOF Australia manager, Traci Wilson-Brown, said border restrictions meant fewer backpackers, who typically make up 80 per cent of WWOOF volunteers — but more Australians were taking their pandemic passion for gardening to the next level.…

Published on Leave a comment on A New Innovation For Recycling Glass Instead Of Landfill. Guess What It Is?

YES WHEN YOU READ ABOUT THIS, YOU WILL DISCOVER HOW IT WILL HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE AND CUT SOME EXPENSES. THIS IS A BIT LIKE THE STORY OF MAKING CRATES ETC FROM PLASTIC BOTTLES, PUTTING THEM TO USE FOR A GOOD PURPOSE. THIS IDEA COULD TAKE OFF WORLD-WIDE, AND AGAIN 'PUT US ON THE MAP' FOR A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. AND ALSO, IT COULD POSSIBLY ENCOURAGE MORE GROCERIES IN GLASS JARS INSTEAD OF CANS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT LANDFILL. I WISH FOR THOSE - IT'S MUCH HEALTHIER.

Rather Than End Up in a Landfill, Non-Recyclable Glass May Soon Be a Cheaper New Ingredient in Concrete
From Good News Network

Australian researchers have developed an exciting new technique for making concrete out of non-recyclable glass that has been turned back into sand.

The team found that ground-up glass can be used specifically to make polymer concrete, a material that uses polymers – typically resins – to replace lime-type cement as a binder for roads.

Since polymer is a particularly high-strength, water-resistant material, it is also suited for areas with heavy traffic such as service stations and airports.…

Published on Leave a comment on It’s A Really Good Time For The Bees – Look What These Aussie Bee Keepers Did In 2015

WHAT AN INVENTION! FATHER AND SON DESIGN A BEEHIVE WITH A WAY OF COLLECTING HONEY WITHOUT DISTURBING THE BEES - JUST TURN A TAP ON AND AWAY YOU GO. COLLECTING HONEY IS NOW A PIECE OF CAKE, SHALL WE SAY?

Aussies Invent A Revolutionary Honey On Tap Beehive

I LIKE TO COVER STORIES LIKE THIS, EVEN IF IT ISN'T CURRENT NEWS - IT'S NICE TO SHARE GOOD NEWS! HEY? SEE THE PICTURE AND YOUTUBE LINK. THIS IS GOING WORLDWIDE AND IT COMMENCED WHEN BEEKEEPERS IN NSW CROWD FUNDED THEM. WHAT A MARVELOUS BUNCH OF PEOPLE - WELL DONE AUSSIES!!!

Since Father-Son Duo Designed Revolutionary ‘Honey on Tap’ Beehive, There Are 51,000 New Bee Colonies
By McKinley Corbley

Back in 2015, a father-son duo changed the beekeeping game simply by redesigning the traditional beehive – and now, honeybees are benefitting from their profits.

Stuart and Cedar Anderson are the co-creators of the Flow Hive: a brilliantly designed beehive that saves beekeepers hours of work simply by channeling all of its honey into a tap that can be turned on and off at will.

The Flow Hive allows honey to flow out of the hive straight into a jar without crushing or disrupting the bees inside.…

Published on Leave a comment on Elderly Lady Of Newcastle NSW Leaves $14 Billion Estate To 15 Australian Charities

I CAME ACROSS THIS STORY ON ONE OF OUR UNASSUMING ELDERLY CITIZENS FROM 2018. THIS ARTICLE SAYS SHE LIVED A MODEST LIFE AND THE CHARITIES ARE OVERCOME BY HER BENEVOLENT GESTURE. THE HELICOPTER RESCUE SERVICE, WORLD VISION AND RSPCA WERE THREE OF THEM. SHE HAS BEEN SINGLE ALL HER LIFE AND LOVED GIVING TO CHARITIES - THANK YOU LETTERS WERE OFTEN SENT.

Woman Who Led Modest Life Stuns 15 Charities By Dividing Her $14 Million Estate Among Them
By Andy Corbley

In sunny New South Wales, Australia, Sheila Woodcock 87 passed away in May of 2018 fulfilled, having spent a private life enjoying travel, horticulture, chocolate, animal companionship, and acting.

Sheila Woodcock's Passing Gesture To Charities

Unmarried and without kids, Sheila had several close personal friendships throughout her long life. But however close they were, and however often they noticed handwritten thank you letters from various charities repeatedly arriving in Sheila’s mailbox, none of her friends or family members would have imagined she had amassed a $14 million estate by the time of her death.

Her second cousin Kent Woodcock knew she was well-off, but couldn’t believe the extent of her wealth.…

Published on Leave a comment on Social Isolation Helped Me Discover The Wonders Of Walking and Enjoying Nature!

By Zoe Victoria April 2020

It’s been 16 days since my university shut down classes and I went into social isolation. Those first days of isolation felt like the end of the world. I felt constantly on edge. I was in a terrible mood most of the time and I resented the fact that I was stuck inside the house for everything. My work was online, my studies had transitioned online, I could only see and talk to my friends online. And amidst all of that, the internet bubble of news only seemed to be getting more and more anxiety-inducing.

I spent those sought after minutes of freedom walking my neighbourhood in an attempt to rid myself of the negative feelings of anger and anxiety that seemed to be constantly swirling around inside me. 

I have begun to look forward to my daily walk not just as an escape but as an enjoyable activity in its own right

And so my daily walk began as a way to escape the confines of the four walls of my house. If I didn’t leave I felt I would go stir crazy. One morning I woke up and did my level best to eat breakfast and change into my gym gear without encountering any of the other three people who live in my house.…

Published on Leave a comment on Random Acts Of Kindness Around The World

LET'S SEE SOME GLOBAL ACTS OF KINDNESS. I LIKE TO MAKE THE OCCASIONAL SEARCH FOR THEM AND SOMETIMES THERE IS ONE THAT IS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. THESE ARE PRETTY SPECIAL. SO GLAD I COULD FIND THEM. I MAY ADD MORE STORIES TO THIS PAGE SOON.

Opera Singers Have Been Hosting Weekly Concerts in Their Driveway to Bring Neighbors Together

Story From Good News Network - May 2020

A South Carolina couple has been using their musical talents to bring their community together for weekly street concerts—all while respecting social distancing guidelines.

Leah Edwards and her husband Dimitri Pitta are professional opera singers who have been setting up shop at the end of their driveway in Mount Pleasant to perform classical and contemporary opera pieces for their neighbors.

Not only have their performances served as a source of entertainment for the neighborhood, they have also helped to keep the community close together during the novel coronavirus lockdowns.

“We’re practicing, they say they can hear us anyways, so we said why not take it to the driveway and make it a concert,” Edwards told WCBD. “It gets everyone out, checking on each other and get some breath of fresh air and make music.”…

Published on Leave a comment on Field Trials Show Flowers Help Beat Vegetable Pests – Read This!

GLAD TO KNOW AT LEAST ONE PROFESSOR IS INTERESTED TO STUDY NATURE'S WAY AND PROMOTING HIS FINDINGS. ORGANIC GARDENERS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TELL US THESE THINGS FOR YEARS. COMMERCIAL FARMERS MAKE THEM OUT TO BE THE 'ODD BODS' SO TO SPEAK. TODAY'S TOXIC AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY HAS MUCH TO ANSWER FOR - THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUILDUP OF CHEMICALS IN PEOPLE'S SYSTEMS, THEIR BODY CANNOT HANDLE - ALONG WITH BIG PHARMA AND THE COMMERCIAL FOOD INDUSTRY. HONESTLY, RIGHT THERE IS THE REASON WHY MOST PEOPLE ARE SICK. IT'S NOT NORMAL, IT'S CONSIDERED TO BE BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T KNOWN ANY DIFFERENT BUT OUR FOR-PARENTS DID AND THEY WERE WELL. TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WE CANNOT IMPROVE ON NATURE - WE'RE BEST WORKING WITH HER - NOW, TO SEE WHY. SHALL WE GO?

COMPANION planting of flowers near vegetable crops is nothing new but a researcher is aiming to more fully document the benefits on a commercial level.

Charles Sturt University and Hort Innovation research is further exploring how the planting of flowers within vegetable crops encourages beneficial insects which keep pests in check.

The research aims to help vegetable growers adopt integrated pest management (IPM) methods that are simple, cost-effective, fit with mainstream farming, and reduce costs.…

Published on Leave a comment on Land Management Stimulus Proposal Brings Joy In Time Of National Hardship

I JUST LOVE THE EXPRESSIONS ON THESE PEOPLE - AT A TIME WHEN 'CONTAGIOUS' HAS NOT BEEN SUCH A GOOD WORD (in recent months) THEY REFLECT A SENSE OF CONTAGIOUS JOY. HAVING EXPERIENCED A TIME OF SEVERE STRESS YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE IN THE POWER AND CONSOLATION OF HOPE. SO GLAD TO FIND THIS STORY, IT'S ONE OF OPTIMISM. DON'T MISS THIS!

$4 Billion Land Management Stimulus Backed By 70 Organisations

By Jamieson Murphy Jul 2020

A STIMULUS plan that would create up to 53,000 conservation and land management jobs has been backed by more than 70 agriculture and environmental organisations.

The plan proposes to take people who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, particularly in regional areas, and redeploy them into temporary roles doing practical work on both private and public land such as weeding, removing invasive pests, planting trees, building National Park infrastructure and repairing river banks.

A report by Ernst and Young found that if the government invested $4 billion into a national conservation and land management program, it could raise economic output by about $5.7 billion, reduce welfare costs by $620 million and generate 53,000 jobs over the next four years.…

Published on Leave a comment on 100-Year-Old Twins Celebrate Birthday. This Is So Gorgeous – You Should See Them!

By Rachel Moss from Huffington Post

Identical twins Maria Pignaton Pontin and Paulina Pignaton Pandolfi have been through a lot together and now, they're preparing to celebrate their 100th birthday.

The sisters will turn 100 on 24th May and ahead of the momentous occasion, Brazilian photographer Camila Lima offered the pair a free photos.

"I had never met anyone 100 years old, let alone twins. I got in touch with their family and offered the photoshoot as a gift," Lima told GoodHousekeeping.com.

"We were all excited and they put on beautiful dresses, did their hair and came to the capital to take the pictures."

Identical Twins: Maria and Paulina Celebrating Their 100th Birthday. Don't You Just Love This!?

According to Lima, Paulina - who has six children, 19 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren - has overcome cancer and two heart attacks in her lifetime.

Meanwhile Maria has five children, 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The pair took part in the fun shoot in the city of Vitória, Brazil, where they're already local celebrities.

Check out some of the images below or visit Camila Lima's Facebook page to see more photos.