Wednesday 17th December saw the staff of the HCSC come together at Tiddaliks for morning tea. This morning tea was different than most as Santa dropped by, secretly of course, leaving a handful of numbers for the staff to determine the order for a game of, you guessed it, Secret Santa. Special thanks to Marion for raising the bar, or at the very least making this year’s game all that more humourous for one lucky individual. Those present were well looked after by the staff of Tiddaliks and the background of Tyto provided a relaxing atmosphere for all to enjoy the morning.

         Want to get your family active and eating well?

The free PEACH (Parenting, Eating and Activity for Child Health) program is coming to Ingham for the first time. Families who would like to receive information on healthy eating habits, or who are struggling to maintain a healthy weight in their children aged 5-11 years  are eligible for enrolment.  
The program runs for 6 months and consists of 10 group sessions that run for 90 minutes each.
The first 9 sessions are held weekly within the school term. Ongoing individualised family support is offered through the second half of the program ending with one final group session.

Some of the topics covered include nutrition skills, relationships with food and eating, changing family lifestyle behaviours and making healthy eating affordable. While the parent sessions are taking place, children enjoy fun active play with a trained child physical activity facilitator. 

Families can contact the PEACH program on free call 1800 263 519 or register directly at www.peachqld.com.au.

Gifts from all over the district have poured in to fill one particular room at the Hub. The conference room has been transformed into a wonderful treasure trove of gifts for those parents unable to provide an  X’mas most of us have enjoyed. The elation of children opening gifts is one that has been provided by the generosity of the Mayor’s Xmas Appeal, Target’s Uniting Care program, the Salvation Army appeal, St Peters Primary school and other kind hearted donations from individuals in the community.

We would like to thank everyone this year who has helped with donations and their distribution.

The Out and About Community Bus will stop operating over the Christmas holidays when bus drivers and volunteers will have some time off. The last run for 2014 will be on Thursday December 18th and transport will resume in January on Thursday the 15th 2015. 
The Out and About Community Bus runs every second Thursday around the Hinchinbrook Shire, enabling shopping and catching up with family & friends.

The route starts in Ingham, travelling, as required to Lucinda, Taylors Beach, Halifax, Toobanna and Trebonne back to Ingham for local pickups, then a circuit through Ingham township finishing at Woolworths or Coles. Later in the day the route is taken in reverse for people returning home.  We can take you to visit family at the nursing homes or travel with us first thing in the morning to spend the day at one of our great beaches.

Please remember that bookings are essential phone 47761822 to book a seat, and when you make your booking please let us know if you have any special needs so that we can accommodate you on your trip.

We thank our bus sponsors whose financial support enables us to provide this service to the Ingham Community and in particular, we thank a committed HCSC volunteer who travels on the bus every second Thursday collecting fees and making everyone feel welcome. 
                                      
                                                                                THANK YOU CAROL

 

On the 3rd of December we received a visit from students and Principal from St Peter’s school.  The students have very generously been fundraising by taking part in a car wash to raise money to purchase toys as part of the HCSC Christmas appeal.  These students attended HCSC today to “hand over” the presents, which will be distributed to families in need throughout the community, leading up to Christmas.
Well done students for all your hard work and commitment!

This Year, for the first time, the Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre lit up a special tree outside the Hub on McIlwraith Street. The lights on this tree are sponsored in memory of someone special. 
The tree provides a spectacular memorial tribute for the festive season. This time of year can be an exceptionally challenging time for families and friends who are missing a loved one. Each person sponsoring a light has their own special reason for taking part and will hopefully receive some comfort knowing that their grief is shared with the community.
On Sunday December the 7th a short lighting ceremony attracted a small crowd.  All donations are given to Palliative Care.

North Queensland and glorious weather often go hand in hand with flood alerts, cyclone warnings and heat waves. The Hinchinbrook Shire has had its fair share of bad weather over the past few years and the community has pulled together showing great solidarity, community spirit and resilience.

Every year, when the cyclone season approaches, information on how to prepare and stay safe is made available. In early November The Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre teamed up with Paul Cannon from Emergency Management Queensland to provide information and resources to the community. Paul shared his knowledge and experience with locals making the day a success. 

For information on emergency preparedness visit the council's website at  http://www.hinchinbrook.qld.gov.au/web/guest/disaster-management
If you are concerned or anxious about the approaching cyclone/flood season and would like to speak to someone, call the Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre to speak to one of our support workers. 

Have a look at this presentation for hints on how to prepare in case of an Emergency
 http://prezi.com/pdkkmjcbanfn/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy