LOCAL Vinnies legend Michael Carroll shows how deep the community spirit runs in Kingaroy.
The Kingaroy Vinnies conference toasted 80 years at St Mary’s Church last Sunday and Mr Carroll was able to toast to 60 of them.
Mr Carroll, 83, spent many of those years issuing food vouchers, organising finances to support locals and chauffeuring around the parish priest.
Local member Kay Dove said it was fantastic to celebrate the conference and especially Mr Carroll’s long contribution to the community.
She said it was wonderful for Mr Carroll to have his family there to celebrate with him on the day.
It was also great, she said, to have the parish community there as the celebration occurred during the regular Sunday Mass.
“We wanted to share the occasion with the parish,” she said, “instead of having it on a separate day.”
Kingaroy Vinnies Conference had been going from strength to strength.
Mrs Dove said they had seen an increase in their membership in the last few years to 19 members.
It was good timing because the need was growing too, she said.
She said the conference did a great job providing food to people who need a “hand up”.
They operated two appeals, one in winter and one at Christmas, which involved the local Catholic schools.
But as cost of living increased and the housing crisis in Queensland worsened, she said the conference were seeing new people coming for help and more people resorting to living in their cars.
Mrs Dove, who was raised through the St Mary’s parish, said there was always a strong community in Kingaroy.
“I’ve always felt that St Mary’s parish was part of my extended family,” she said.
Looking into the future, Mrs Dove said their members would continue working in the background, helping people with a “hand up, not a hand out” and accompanying anyone who was in need.
The Kingaroy Conference was founded on January 14, 1944.
