Power Up Kids

28/11/2025

💙 Launching the Sky-Blue Mental Health Bin

Last night we launched our Sky-Blue Outside the Locker Room Bin at the Broadbeach Cats Juniors AFC Club to Junior President Jason Cunningham— a bin designed to bring education, visibility, support and community giving together in one place.

Huge Thank you to the people who made this possible
• Todd Morgan (CEO) & Tim Cook (National Programs Manager) from Outside the Locker Room for partnering with Power Up Kids & Can We Change.
• To Michael Kollosche, Kara Christensen and the Kollosche Community Fund for funding this pilot so we can build something powerful enough to roll out across the entire Coast.
• The Wicks Family — with the initials HW (Hudson Wicks) placed on every Sky-Blue bin as a reminder of heart, hope, and community.
• Robyn & Lindsay from Havafeed Community Relief both life members of the Broadbeach Cats Juniors AFC making this partnership incredibly meaningful.

What this bin delivers — two powerful functions

1️⃣ Mental Health Support & Education

Each side of the bin includes dynamic QR codes that link to:
• A visual mental-health video
• Education, awareness tools & pathways
• The full Outside the Locker Room app, so anyone can access help in their own time and their own space — privately, safely, and without judgement.

This is mental-health visibility delivered differently — right where young people, families and volunteers already are.

2️⃣ Essential Item Collections That Matter

This bin will rotate through the year to support both club families and local charities:
• Start of season: Sporting gear (boots, jerseys, joggers) for families doing it tough within the club.
• Mid-season: Essential items for a charity that has supported our community for almost 30 years.
• End of season: The bin switches back to sporting gear, ensuring nothing goes to waste and families are supported again.

Also a donation QR code — with a goal to raise $5,000 for Outside The Locker Room to expand their mental-health programs to clubs, schools and workplaces that need it most.

How we got here

The success of this initiative at the Carrara Saints FC Junior Club earlier this year led us to grow the program further — refining the education, expanding the charity connections, and building a model that can support every suburb across the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers.

The bigger vision

This bin is designed to be 365-day rotational — so mental-health education is always visible, and a charity or not-for-profit is always receiving the essential items they desperately need.
Once footy season ends, the bin can move into the next sport, school or workplace — continuing the cycle of awareness and giving.

For our community

Real support for mental health.
Real essential items for families and charities.
Real awareness for the organisations doing the work

And most importantly Visibility to help change lives
#

26/11/2025

✨ MERCIFUL SERVANTS — A BIG DAY FOR AN AMAZING TEAM ✨

Today was special.
I had the honour of meeting Br. Ansary — a man who has become a quiet force of kindness across the Logan and Brisbane communities — and delivering Merciful Servants their very own Essential Item Bin.

What they’ve built isn’t small.
It isn’t temporary.
It isn’t a moment.
It’s a movement.

Week after week, year after year, Merciful Servants has shown up for people doing it tough.
Feeding families, supporting individuals, lifting those who’ve fallen through the cracks.
Their consistency is rare. Their heart is real. Their impact is undeniable.

But what makes this work even stronger is the partnership behind it.
His wife, Sr. Fiaza, is the quiet strength that keeps the wheels turning — managing the accounts, the operations, and supporting Ansary every step of the way.
Every community movement has someone behind the scenes holding it together.
For Merciful Servants, that’s her.

And today, giving them their Essential Item Bin felt like the beginning of something even bigger.

This bin isn’t just a container.
It’s visibility.
It’s awareness.
It’s dignity.
It’s support.
It’s a way for the community to stand with them — one item at a time.

To the entire Merciful Servants team:
You deserve this.
Your community deserves this.
And we’re excited to see how far this bin will take your mission.

Here’s to Merciful Servants.
Here’s to the Logan and Brisbane communities.
And here’s to a team that leads with heart, consistency, and genuine care. ❤️

# Logancommunity # BrisbaneCommunity # power up kids

16/11/2025

We’re incredibly proud to launch the Set Free Care Essential Item Bin — a bin created to support one amazing and important community organization on the Gold Coast.

For more than two decades, Set Free Care has been there for people doing it tough — serving hot meals, offering showers and laundry, providing safe connection, and helping thousands of locals find dignity, support, and a way forward. Their doors stay open because the community steps up… and today, we get to play our part.

This week, our brand-new bin begins its journey at the beautiful Carpets on the Move team in Tweed Heads South — a family-owned business with a huge heart and an even bigger commitment to community.

They’ve proudly offered to host our bin for the next two weeks, giving locals a simple, powerful way to support Set Free Care with the essential items they need every single week.

When a business stands up like this, it reminds us what community really looks like — no fuss, no ego, just people helping people.

To Beverly and team at Carpets on the Move: thank you for opening your doors, your space, and your hearts.

To Set Free Care: thank you for the meals, the care, the dignity, and the hope you give to thousands across our city.

And to every person who drops something in this bin: you are part of the change.

If your business, school, club, or organisation would like to host a Set Free Care bin, please reach out.

One bin. Two weeks. A lifetime of impact for someone who needs it NOW.

Here’s to us — building a city that shows up for each other. 💛

06/11/2025

Can We Change

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be releasing something truly special for the Gold Coast community.

Something that will unite every business, every school, every sporting club, and every person who believes that change begins when compassion becomes visible.

Imagine a city where homelessness is rare, brief, and never forgotten.

That’s the vision driving the Gold Coast Zero Campaign — a community-wide movement powered by the Gold Coast Homelessness Network and its partner organisations, who are out there every single day — connecting people to homes, collecting data, and creating hope — reminding us that behind every number is a person, and behind every person is a story worth seeing.

That’s why, with the support of the Kollosche Community Fund and in partnership with the Gold Coast Homelessness Network inc we’re launching the Gold Coast Zero Essential Item Bin Initiative through Can We Change, a movement built to unite our city around visibility, compassion, and real action.

What We’re Doing

We’re launching the Gold Coast Zero Essential Item Bin Initiative — a community-led movement that turns awareness into action and compassion into change.

These bins aren’t just about collecting items — they’re about connecting people.

They give every business, school, sporting club, and household across the Coast a simple, visible way to help end homelessness — one item, one story, one act of kindness at a time.

Each bin stands as a message of hope — linking the public directly to the charities and frontline workers who keep our city going.
• One side shows live data, updated monthly by the Gold Coast Homelessness Network, revealing the real numbers and real progress happening across our city.

• The other side features a Dynamic QR Code, giving every member organisation within the Network their own visible section — opening a window into real lives, real stories, and real voices from those who’ve experienced homelessness, and the incredible people helping them rebuild.

The first story, “A Place to Call Home,” created by Gold Coast Youth Service, captures what this campaign is all about — because a home doesn’t just change circumstances.
It changes everything.

And as more bins appear across the Coast, so will more stories — more truth, more understanding, and more reasons to believe that when a community stands together, change isn’t just possible…
it’s inevitable.

Together, We Can Change Everything

This is where the Gold Coast stands up.

Where businesses, schools, clubs, and individuals become part of something bigger — something that shines a light on hope and brings humanity back to the heart of our community.

Because when compassion becomes visible, change truly becomes unstoppable.

Established network of homelessness services, government agencies, community outreach services and broader community membership that is cohesive, coordinated and has a commitment to integrative and collaborative service delivery.

10/10/2025

Grassroots sport is about more than trophies and tryouts — it’s about belonging.

But sometimes, people fall off the tracks.

A player disappears quietly.
A parent stops showing up.
A volunteer fades from the sidelines.

These moments are easy to miss — yet they’re the moments that matter most.

On Power Up Kids and Can We Change called on every club, coach, and community to look a little closer.
Because mental health isn’t just something we talk about once a year — it’s something we live every day.

When a club wraps its arms around someone who’s struggling, it becomes more than a sporting organisation — it becomes a lifeline.

So today, let’s check in on the ones who’ve gone quiet.

Let’s build cultures where falling off the tracks doesn’t mean falling alone.

And let’s remember — community isn’t just who we play with, it’s who we show up for.

25/09/2025

🙌 A Huge Thank You to Vege Chips🙌

Because of the incredible generosity of Vege Chips, who donated over 1,700 packets of their delicious snacks, we were able to spread smiles, comfort, and kindness right across our community. 🌟

Together, we passed this gift on to five amazing organisations who show up every day for people doing it tough:
❤️ Rosie’s – Friends on the Street
❤️ Walk With Us
❤️ Set Care Free
❤️ Gold Coast Youth Service
❤️ Havafeed

That’s 1,700 moments of joy. 1,700 reminders that people care. 1,700 small acts that add up to something much bigger.

This is what partnership looks like. This is community. This is change in action.

From all of us: thank you, Vege Chips. Your kindness is fuelling hope and connection across the Coast. 🙏✨

25/09/2025

❤️From 10,000 to 20,000 – A Journey of Care

Just 10 months ago, we set out with Rosies - Friends On The Street – on a mission:

👉 To collect 10,000 essential items
👉 To connect our community more deeply to the work Rosie’s does every night across Queensland

Rosie’s has always been more than a service.
They bring warmth, conversation, and dignity in times of need. They show up. They listen. They care.

Together, we didn’t just reach the goal…
We doubled it.

🌟 20,000 essential items collected
🌟 Reaching over 40,000 people doing it tough

From every essential item, a cup of noodles, or cup of coffee, every donation has carried love from our community straight to the hands of those who need it most.

This is proof of what happens when people come together. ❤️

It’s not just items. It’s connection. It’s compassion. It’s change.

And we’re just getting started.

Huge thank you to all the companies, MPs and councillors involved . You deserve this credit.


16/09/2025

🌹 A Tribute from the Heart

At the centre of Rosies - Friends On The Street are two remarkable women: CEO Jayne Shallcross and Head of Fundraising, Lacee Hennessy Overton. Their leadership, compassion, and relentless dedication have carried Rosies forward, ensuring that those doing it tough are never without friendship, support, and hope.

Through our Power Up Kids and Can We Change volunteer program, we were honoured to celebrate 1,650 Rosies volunteers across Queensland with service pins — from 1 year, right through to an extraordinary 25 years. Each pin told a story of kindness and commitment.

But we wanted to do something more — something that showed Jayne and Lacee just how much their leadership means to everyone. Thanks to the hub coordinators across Queensland, we gathered heartfelt messages, stories, and signatures. Together, they became a powerful gift: a framed Rosies T-shirt, surrounded by love, and adorned with the very pins that symbolised this journey.

This shirt isn’t just fabric. It’s a canvas of gratitude — a tribute to two women whose work has touched countless lives and inspired us all to believe in the power of community.

Jayne and Lacee, you are the heart and soul of Rosies. Thank you for showing us that change begins with compassion, and that when we walk together, no one is ever truly alone. ❤️

10/09/2025

💛 R U OK? Day 💛
Today’s a reminder that we can all play a part in changing the stigma around mental health.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is turn to the person next to us and ask, “Are you okay?”
You never know what someone might be going through — and your conversation could make all the difference.

Let’s make today about listening, caring, and reminding each other that we’re not alone…

07/09/2025

Congratulations Palm Beach Currumbin Junior AFL Club AFL!

We are proud to announce that Palm Beach Currumbin Junior AFL are the winners of the 2025 Can We Change × Power Up Kids Volunteer Legends Award. 🏆

This award celebrates the tireless effort, heart, and community spirit of volunteers who go above and beyond to make a difference. Palm Beach Currumbin Junior AFL have shown what true teamwork looks like — not just on the field, but off it too.

To every volunteer, parent, coach, and supporter — this recognition is yours. You are the heartbeat of the club, and your impact reaches far beyond the game.

A very special thank you to all the Presidents and Vice Presidents across the 20 Junior AFL clubs on the Gold Coast and Northern NSW who took part in the 2025 Can We Change Rewards & Recognition Program. Your leadership and dedication keep grassroots footy strong and connected.

💛 And a huge shout out to Wendy Marshall and Sam Clark from the Gold Coast Suns— it’s been a pleasure working alongside you both to make this program a reality.

Together, we’re proving that community, kindness, and care can create real change — one legend at a time.

⚡ Power Up Kids. Can We Change. Volunteer Legends.

31/08/2025

Community Power in Action!

Thank you Raywhite for their support — this time delivering noodles and essential items for The Exchange Shed noodle Drive in partnership with Rosies - Friends On The Street.

And a big shoutout to Megan and her family at the The Exchange Shed - Containers for Change Jimboomba who didn’t just say yes to hosting a permanent Rosies Bin — they’ve gone above and beyond, upgrading their entire shed and driveways so the community of jimboomba and surrounding areas can safely and easily drop off their bottles and cans thru the Containers for Change QLD (COEX) scheme, but also now essential items for Rosies Friends on the Street. 🙌

Because of incredible efforts like this, Power Up Kids have now collected over 17,500 essential items. That doesn’t just mean 17,500 moments of help — it means more than 40,000 people supported across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. One essential item can stretch into many meals, snacks, or acts of connection for Rosie’s incredible Volunteers ❤️❤️❤️

We now have 4 permanent sites for Rosie’s , and our goal is 8 permanent sites plus 2 extra bins dedicated to Rosies’ Essential Item Program thru the Can We Change initiative — so even more lives can be touched.

This is what happens when a community comes together: small acts, huge impact. Together, We Can Change .

27/08/2025

One Game. One Chance. History Awaits.

Tonight, the Gold Coast Suns have the opportunity to make history. A win will secure their first-ever finals appearance in the history of the club.

From the players on the field to the staff behind the scenes, the hard work, sacrifice, and belief have led to this moment. At Power Up Kids and Can We Change, we couldn’t be prouder to cheer you on.

We can’t wait to watch the boys give it everything, enjoy the game, and see history unfold right in front of us. 💛❤️

Let’s go Suns – this is your time to shine!