Smelling and tasting the wood to establish the variety. Planning and directing staff as to what ideas are best for the next creation. The creative satisfaction of "feeling" a piece of timber and then constructing a work of art, satisfied only when the final sanding has taken place.
These men have been designing & building furniture, kennels, wood boxes and plant stands over a period of some nine (9) years. During this time they have earned a reputation as builders of "solid" furniture. Not a day goes by without their hand being turned at constructing another piece of furniture that will adorn somebody's home.   After farm life in Warwick and an education in Brisbane these men possessed a number of skills that enabled them to make a valuable contribution to the community. All they needed now was a unique support provider that was constructive, flexible and creative, which would allow them to develop a future the way they wanted it…. Not what they were told they had to do.
It has been a long held view of this organisation that we need to focus our attention on developing a number of programs that encompass an holistic approach to "living" and "social" skill development. The support program devised, in association with other personal development programs offered by our organisation, is of significant importance in allowing people with a disability an ability to contribute to the community in a meaningful way.  These independent minded brothers had an idea of what they wanted, and Hhelp Darling Downs Inc. had the broadness of mind to develop a unique Individual Plan that was able to provide the environment and personal support where (and when) they need it, and supported their view of becoming independent and valued members of the Toowoomba community. The only requirement left was a need to provide a platform to launch their independent spirits - this was achieved by providing like minded support staff personally matched to create the right environment.
We have recently found an outlet for their furniture at the Tender Centre in Toowoomba. This newfound outlet has created an air of "a need to expand" and has resulted in further development of their entrepreneurial flair. One of the brothers has become the "ideas man" and the other has become the "banker". You would never guess both these guys suffer from Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome and as a result are sight impaired, hearing impaired, non-verbal and have limited mobility - one in a wheelchair and the other uses a walker. They share a house and we have assisted in creating a life that both men enjoy …. second best only to Mum's farm. 
We have a five-acre property situated at Upper Lockyer that is available for use as externally supported accommodation to assist in transition from care or as emergency/crisis accommodation with 24 hour care if required. The property is currently used for a number of training purposes such as life skill education, and provides day respite activities to other agencies in Toowoomba. The property is somewhat secluded from neighbours. This allows participants an opportunity for complete relaxation and involvement in their chosen activities. At present the property is used by a number of agencies as a private place that has an enjoyable and supportive group atmosphere.
 The location provides an opportunity for people to participate in a variety of activities that promote and encourage social interaction and development of confidence and self-worth (including making tea and cooking a damper). It is also our intention to establish a market garden, with a view to providing training in horticulture. The aim of this project is to offer a launching pad for individuals to take responsibility for their futures, to be involved in decision making regarding their educational processes, and to acquire the necessary skills to go out and seek (and secure) satisfactory employment.  Training in horticultural basics is geographically and economically pertinent to this locality, as Toowoomba is known as The Garden City. It has a City Council proactive and skilled in gardening pursuits and it is the major centre for the Darling Downs - a primary horticulture area of Australia. There are quite a number of retail and wholesale nurseries and several vegetable producing enterprises operating within the city and nearby regions, hence employment possibilities are high.
An added benefit for participants is seen as being able to garden productively at home - to increase the appeal and value of the home; to gain a sense of accomplishment, to be able to produce some of their own food and to be able to make worthwhile contributions to community projects. There are a number of post secondary institutions within the district where successful students would be able to continue or expand their education. Individual students wishing to pursue specific interests would be able to attend TAFE to gain competencies whilst achieving the more general ones through our course. Another possibility is using online learning facilities for further studies once the basics are mastered, and confidence is achieved. The prospect of organising a traineeship would be more attractive to employers if the client has proved his/her commitment and ability in coping with the basics.
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Nadine's goal was to live independently. She is achieving that goal and is an inspiration to other disabled people who wish to take control of their lives, and set a course for the future. Nadine suffers from spina bifida, is confined to a wheelchair, and has a sparkling, active, beautiful one year old son named Andrew. With some assistance they live in a comfortable, modern unit which has been adapted to meet her needs.  "My goal was to live as independently as possible, and when you are a young mum with some serious disability issues, there are not too many options," Nadine said recently. "The independence I now have came about because of teamwork between my family, Hhelp Services and me. We agreed to work together so that I could achieve my goal. I trust the Hhelp staff who, from time to time, act as my advocate. They trust and respect me and my family, and take pride in what we achieve together," she said.
The goal of Hhelp Services is to assist all its clients to progress through life despite their disabilities. "We succeed because we have a 'can-do' attitude, and are always prepared to think outside the square," Bill Grace, General Manager of Hhelp, said. "Nadine needs a range of services so she and Andrew can live in their own home. We act as her advocate when sourcing these services," This advocacy can cover a number of initiatives which include finding service providers, preparing detailed paperwork, and putting together the right mix of services needed by individual clients.  "There are some great organisations and people working for the disabled, but they often are bound by rules and regulations or restrictions of different kinds," Bill said. "Our clients trust us to find these services and put a package together for them".
"We come across some rules and regulations which seem a bit weird," Nadine said. "There is assistance for young mothers who have disabled children, but the same assistance is not necessarily available for disabled young mums with children who are not handicapped. I need an organisation like Hhelp Services to work with me and overcome this sort of situation," she said. "I find it a bit frustrating when we have to search high and low to find fairly basic services which should be readily available." Nadine is still working with Hhelp Services to overcome challenges and reach new goals. "The top priority for a while is going to be a bouncing baby boy who is just about to start walking," she said. "After that I will consider other things like work, and perhaps learning to drive an adapted car. Things like this can be a bit daunting, but it's amazing what you can achieve with the right help."
The current project for Nadine, her family and Hhelp Services is to secure a grant which will ensure that she has permanent and guaranteed access to the range of services she needs. "We have agreed to look at everything," she said. "Every source of assistance, every combination; we might even find new alternatives or help to start new programs. We can do it," she said.
One of our clients turned fifty on the 21st of October last year and we thought that we would celebrate the event with a surprise birthday party. The Program Manager responsible for the service provided to this client thought that while she was arranging a surprise party she might as well organise an overnight camping and fishing trip as well. Clients and staff camped at the Leslie Dam tourist park in very comfortable, wheelchair friendly cabins. Family members, clients, friends, staff, and Hhelp management enjoyed a great barbeque lunch, and the client really enjoyed both the surprise birthday bash, and the surprise fishing trip, so much so that a deep sea trip is currently being arranged (watch this space). Although the weather forecast for the trip was miserable (except for the farmers amongst us - terrific rain…) fun was had by all in attendance.  Some might say that there is nothing like sitting on the bank, line in hand, under the comfort of rain coats waiting to catch that big fish (if you're a fisherman that is). Unfortunately no fish were caught, but it could be fairly said that this wasn't due to a lack of effort on the part of the intrepid anglers.
Thanks to the staff for keeping the trip a surprise. It was lucky that the clients didn't take much convincing to head off to Leslie Dam for the day. The best part was that they had absolutely no idea that family, friends and staff were busily organising the surprise lunch. Well done to all involved.
During the year a number of clients have taken the opportunity of taking a well deserved holiday. As a result of a request from the Carer Respite Centre two young people spent a week at Rydges Resort in Yeppoon earlier this year. They had a wonderful time taking in the local sites (and sights) and came back with a lot of stories - and a great sense of having had an adventure. Four other young people are heading off to the Gold Coast this month to have a look at some of the Theme Parks and the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. There is also some "retail therapy" arranged at Harbourtown, and maybe a movie or two. Two other clients have indicated that they would like to go deep sea fishing and we are trying to arrange that trip for them.
Some "getting prepared for deep sea fishing" photographs
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