We felt that the joint fundraising campaign by Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) North Australia and Mackay Hospital Foundation (MHF) to build a Family Room at Mackay Base Hospital was the perfect fit. The Family Room will provide a much needed service that will benefit local Whitsunday children and families needing to travel to Mackay for health services.

The Ronald McDonald Family Room, will provide a homelike environment close to the Children and Adolescent Unit, and provide free services and support volunteers to enable family members of hospitalised children to have respite from the ward and increase their overall well-being.

You can read more about the the fundraising campaign and make a donation here: https://nafundraising.rmhc.org.au/mackayfamilyroom

Stella Life Care is passionate about supporting local causes that matter to our community and we look forward to seeing the Ronald McDonald Family Room open at Mackay Base Hospital later this year.

The post Supporting Ronald McDonald House’s Family Room Campaign in Mackay appeared first on Stella Community.

The voyage over to Australia is filled with vivid detail of the harshness of their circumstances on the ship, when, due to her husband’s argumentative and troublesome undertakings with the crew, they are literally nailed into their cabin. Elizabeth also looses a baby she gives birth to during the crossing, a tragic event she carries with her for the rest of her life.

As she settles into her new surroundings in the new colony, she will think constantly of her old home back in England. She tries to not hope too much to return as soon as possible so as not to feel too bitterly how much she has lost in her marriage.

Then she meets the astronomer Mr Dawes, an elusive figure living away from the main township of the colony to watch the stars. Through him she will learn more about the local Indigenous community, who live alongside the British settlement, on the land that they are now sharing with the colonists. This part of the book is the sunniest in colour and content, and Elizabeth slowly comes to love her new home.

The style of this novel is very beautiful, and we get a realistic sense of what it was like to live in those far away times, and being a woman in a new British colony of the other side of the world. I recommend this book if you like historical fiction, and even if you just enjoy reading about extraordinary women who overcome odds stacked against them. It is a lovely and instructive read.

Book review by Emily

About Emily

Emily is an avid reader and talented writer with a Masters in Literature who has kindly offered to share periodic book reviews with our community.

The post Book Review: A Room Made Of Leaves by Kate Grenville appeared first on Stella Community.

Providers can either be registered with the NDIS, or unregistered. The main difference is that clients who have their funding managed by NDIS (rather than self managed or managed by a professional independent plan manager) must receive services from a registered provider. This is only a small percentage of the people that receive NDIS funding. Both registered and unregistered providers are heavily regulated and must adhere to the NDIS Code of Conduct. People are able to make a complaint to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission about both registered and unregistered providers.

Can I use unregistered providers?

The simplest answer is if you’re plan managed or self-managed, then yes you can use your NDIS funds to pay for services from unregistered providers. If the services are relevant to you achieving your goals, then you can use your funding to pay for this for any provider (registered or unregistered). The NDIS actually encourages people with disabilities to choose the provider that best suits you, regardless of whether the provider is registered or not – the NDIS wants to ensure that you have as much choice as possible in choosing your provider, to get the support you need.

Stella Life Care is in the process of becoming a registered provider to ensure everyone who seeks our services can receive them. Many businesses provide services to a range of clients, not just people with disability such as personal trainers, some psychologists and other allied health providers, gardening and mowing businesses, home care and support businesses, and transport providers. These businesses may choose to not become NDIS registered because they provide services to a wide range of people and are not disability specific services. Despite the status of registered or unregistered, it’s important to ask how will this provider and business support YOU to achieve your goals and meet your needs.

In the Whitsundays, there are only a limited number of registered providers and a much larger network of unregistered providers. By only considering registered providers you may be limiting your options.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us or visit the NDIS website: https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/working-providers/what-service-provider

The post What’s the difference between a registered and unregistered NDIS provider? appeared first on Stella Community.

After two years of covid-related delays, Robyn and her niece Jo-Ann

will join a convoy of 250 cars in the Shitbox rally, Australia’s largest independently- run fundraiser for the Cancer Council. To qualify for entry in the Shitbox rally the maximum you can spend on your vehicle is $1000.

“My family and I have been touched by cancer so Jo-Ann and I have teamed up to complete the rally together as a dedication to our respective daughters who are currently in remission,” Ms Burrell said.

“The rally is mainly travelling through outback SA, a lot of red dirt and rough terrain.

“From the first time we heard about this rally we knew it was something we wanted to do. Raising money for the Cancer Council, spending time with Jo-Ann and having fun travelling Australia whilst camping under the stars; it’s the perfect combination as long as our car holds out!”

“With the help of our dedicated supporters, we’ve been able to raise money for the rally and the Cancer Council through countless raffles, trivia nights, paint and sips and sausage sizzles.”

Robyn and her husband Arthur, also known as Tek, were recently awarded Whitsunday’s Volunteer of the Year at Australia Day award ceremonies in recognition of more than 45 years of donating their time to support causes and charities in Bowen and beyond. Community giving runs in the family with Jo-Ann receiving nominations for Citizen of the Year and Volunteer of the Year for the 2022 Australia Day Awards in Mackay.

“We do it because we love our community but this year we wanted to do something extra and have a crack at the Shitbox Rally and there a lot of people we need to thank for supporting this adventure, including the team from Stella Life Care who have swung right in behind us,” Ms Burrell said.

Stella Life Care business owners Faileen James, Bruce Button and Sarah Holland said they were proud to be backing Robyn and Jo-Ann on their mission to fight cancer.

“A core part of the Stella Life Care business model is to donate a percentage of income directly back to the local community through causes that matter,” Ms James said.

“Backing Robyn and Jo-Ann was an easy decision for us and it’s a commitment we’ve been able to make in our very first month of operation.”

Mr Button said cancer was a disease that affects many.

“I don’t think there’s many people out there that haven’t been touched by cancer in some way. Our family has certainly experienced the challenges that a cancer diagnosis brings,” Mr Button said.

“Once we heard about Robyn and Jo-Ann’s big plans to dust off the old Ford Falcon and take on the Shitbox Rally, we jumped at the chance to support them and their fundraising efforts.”

The Shitbox Rally will begin on March 26, travelling from Hay in central NSW to Adelaide via William Creek, finishing on April 1 after travelling a total of 3500 kilometres.

Robyn and Jo-Ann have named their team ‘Not lost- just looking’ and will drive the rally course in their beloved Ford Falcon AU.

So far, Robyn and Jo-Ann have raised just over $12,000 in donations but are keen to raise more. They’re part of the Facebook group- Not Lost & Two Jays with the team posting content regularly and planning on providing updates from the road during the rally.

At the end of the rally the cars are usually auctioned off for final donations, but Robyn already intends on buying back and driving her faithful Falcon back to Bowen with the intent of doing at least one more rally.

To donate visit: https://2021spring.shitboxrally.com.au/not-lost-just-looking

The post New Bowen service provider backs local duo on epic adventure appeared first on Stella Community.

As part of our journey, we’ve been thinking how to explain exactly what we do, and why and how we do it – what we keep coming back to is … it’s all about People!

Our co-founders Faileen James, Bruce Button and Sarah Holland created Stella Life Care after much feedback from the local community that individuals were struggling to find a community and home care solution that felt right and empowered them to live their best life. They felt that the ‘people connection’ was missing with some other service providers and that Whitsunday residents deserved greater choice and a more personalised approach. The founders decided to create a better option.

The result is Stella Life Care, a new local provider that’s changing home care and disability support to ensure that it revolves around people… from our clients and team members to the connections we have and will continue to build in the wider community. We take the time to find out what’s important to you, your preferences and how we can tailor services that support you to live your best life.

People are at the centre of everything we do

“At Stella Life Care,” Ms James says, “we see all our clients as people, not numbers, not revenue, not names on a roster or in a government service plan. We work directly with people to ensure that they are truly at the centre of everything that we do. We employ team members who are respectful, caring, and enthusiastic.   Our team members have a genuine interest in empowering people to become as self-reliant and independent as possible. We match clients and team members for skills and hobbies – we understand that everyone is different and want to socialise with people who have similar interests.” We have also recruited people with disabilities as admin team members – people who really understand the challenges our clients face everyday.

A rewarding and full life is about people and the connections we have. Strong relationships are the key to happiness, health and wellbeing. When you’re a Stella Life Care client, instead of being supported by someone you’ve never met or don’t like, you’re in full control of choosing your team of workers, what activities you do and when you’d like to do those activities.

Find your people!

You might want team members who can dance, who love fishing, are crafty or can teach you how to cook Mexican food! Perhaps you want a team member who has lots of experience with personal assistance or enjoys gardening, or someone who is a classic car enthusiast. Stella Life Care can help you to make this support happen!

Whether you’re looking for disability or aged care services – either through your NDIS or Home Care package or privately funded – you’ll find your kind of people at Stella Life Care. Visit our website: www.stellalife.com.au to find out more and connect with us today.

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