{"id":344306,"date":"2024-02-22T17:42:14","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T07:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=344306"},"modified":"2024-02-23T21:58:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T11:58:32","slug":"community-aims-to-raise-100000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2024\/02\/22\/community-aims-to-raise-100000\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Aims To Raise $100,000"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The former St Kevin’s Catholic Church, photographed in November last year … local residents are hoping to buy the building for future community use\u00a0 (Photo: KDCCAI)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 22, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

A $100,000 GoFundMe campaign has been launched by the Kilkivan & District Community Care Association (KDCCAI) in a bid to buy the former St Kevin\u2019s Catholic Church building.<\/p>\n

KDCCAI president Rosie Fitzgerald said the group believed it should buy the property because of its strategic importance to its “Rise & Shine Ageing-in-Place” project, as well as the building’s historical significance to the community.<\/p>\n

“Rise & Shine Ageing-in-Place” is a long-term project to build aged care accommodation in Kilkivan.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously we have limited funds available to pay for the property so we have launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with half the purchase price,” Rosie said.<\/p>\n

“We were fortunate to negotiate a three-month settlement date so as soon as the contract was signed by all parties, we launched our funding initiative.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe $3000 milestone has been reached. Donations range from $20 through to two $1000 amounts which is just awesome!<\/p>\n

“Any amount is very welcome and we love the fact that people from near and far are already contributing.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rosie said the former church clearly held a special place in many hearts.<\/p>\n

The last Mass, held in October 2023, drew a capacity congregation including former residents who drove considerable distances to attend.<\/p>\n

“Adding to the ecumenical vibe was the fact that the local Union Church congregation opted to attend that service in lieu of their own that day,” Rosie said.<\/p>\n

The Baxter family was well represented at the final Mass: Bernadette Baxter introduced the final service, noting that St Kevin\u2019s Church was an especially powerful symbol. The Celtic word “Kilkivan” means church of Kevin.<\/p>\n

“Fittingly, Bernadette was the very first donor to the GoFundMe campaign,” Rosie said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bernadette said a critical part of ageing well was being able to live where your heart is.<\/p>\n

“This little church will be instrumental in allowing that to happen,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Far too many of our elderly residents, like my late father-in-law, are forced to leave the area for physical support but their spirit is devastated as a result. We desperately need to buy St Kevin\u2019s and buy hope and peace of mind for our elderly. No one should be forced to leave their home area.”<\/p>\n

The five surviving Baxter siblings – Cathy, Ann, Elaine, Shane and Matthew – returned to the final Mass to honour and remember their family\u2019s extensive connection with St Kevin\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Their late brother John (Bernadette\u2019s husband) and his father Barney built the distinctive bell tower which stands at the rear of the church property.<\/p>\n

John used to ring the bell ahead of each Mass he attended until the family moved to the Gympie area.<\/p>\n

Rosie said buying the church building was not just about respecting and celebrating the past; it was very much about the future role of the church.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a tremendous opportunity to transform this church building into the focal point of our Rise & Shine Ageing-in-Place Project by converting it into a community hub that will enable all community members to enjoy using it in its reimagined role,” Rosie said.<\/p>\n

“That will require a lot more money, hopefully from grants and philanthropists, but we must try.\u201d<\/p>\n

KDCCAI hopes the future community hub could include a multi-purpose flexible meeting\/communal space, a commercial kitchen, offices and other elements to support activities involving local residents from across the Kilkivan-Goomeri-Woolooga districts.<\/p>\n

If financial support can be secured to build the accessible, rental ageing-in-place accommodation envisaged for the adjacent vacant blocks owned by Council, the community hub would also support the social needs of those residents.<\/p>\n

“For four years KDCCAI volunteers have worked tirelessly to implement services for senior residents so they can age better in the community they love,” Rosie said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not want anyone else to have to leave our area prematurely just because there are insufficient services and facilities here \u2013 it\u2019s not as though we are in a remote location! If you can\u2019t aspire to ageing well here, there\u2019s something seriously wrong.”<\/p>\n

KDCCAI member,\u00a0 local history enthusiast and former\u00a0Kilkivan\u00a0Shire\u00a0councillor Dawn Choate is a strong supporter of the community\u2019s decision to try to buy the church.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the last 25 years Kilkivan has lost two distinctive timber structures from the townscape, the railway station and the railway bridge,” Dawn said.<\/p>\n

“We weren\u2019t about to risk either losing this building to removal or to a developer who might have misaligned intentions for the vacant land adjacent to the church.<\/p>\n

“We may not succeed in raising sufficient funds, but we are giving it our best shot.\u201d<\/p>\n