Officeworks Pinpoint magazine Pinpoint Issue 28 Spring 2018 | Page 35

The Internal Business team helps TAD put smiles on Children’s faces The Internal Business team has an ongoing relationship with TAD (Technical Aid to the Disabled) to provide some volunteer work, specifically the Freedom Wheels project. TAD is run by a multitude of volunteers that custom build bikes for children with disabilities. Most of the children are in wheelchairs and cannot walk, but thanks to the amazing work of these volunteers, they can ride a bike ‘like normal children’ as they say. As highlighted in the Autumn 2018 edition of Pinpoint, the Internal Business (BSI) team helped redecorate TAD’s facilities by paining a 30 meter mural spanning 5 walls, and a track for the kids to ride around for their assessment. The result was “like walking into a cartoon”, as one of TAD’s volunteers put it. The BSI team also hosted a BBQ, a raffle and a bake sale to raise funds for the project resulting in a $1100 donation thanks to the CSC and CFC at the North Rocks Support Office. On 12 June, the Minister for Disability Services, the Honourable Ray Williams officially opened a new Assistive Technology Centre at TAD in Northmead, and the BSI team was invited to attend. Matt Payne, Pree Moodley and Manika Sharma represented the team at the opening and presented the check for the funds raised. “It was an amazing morning attending the opening ceremony, and it has been an extremely humbling experience for the team to be part of this project and work with such a fantastic organisation,” says Matt Payne, Business Specialist (Internal). Officeworks Shepparton (Vic) supports students volunteering in remote community Using the generous donation of a range of art and educational materials by Officeworks Shepparton, teachers and students from Notre Dame College in Shepparton volunteered their time over the June School holiday to engage the children from the Djarindjin/ Lombadina community north of Broom in WA, in a fun holiday program. While these communities are known to be rich in culture, they lack in resources and would benefit from resources to hold holiday programs and more. Officework Shepparton donated drawing pads and colouring books, textas, crayons, pencils, oil pastels, glitters, feathers, glue, paint and Jigsaw puzzles, chalks and more. The activities the Notre Dame teachers and students were able to engage the local children in with the materials donated by Officeworks Shepparton, brought a great deal of fun, laughter and connectedness to the community. 35