Every community needs a ‘Ronnie Timperon’ in it, someone who is unfailingly there for the community and who puts the needs of others ahead of herself.
A strong Christian, Ronnie was living and working in Cairns in 2013 for Uniting Care Community when she was made redundant and felt a calling to apply for the position of Chaplain in Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay.
With parents living in nearby Tewantin, she and her husband Mike decided to make the move to the halfway mark and settled into Tin Can Bay with Ronnie working two days a week at Tin Can Bay School and two days in Rainbow Beach.
In 2017, after moving to Gympie and travelling that road twice a day, four days a week, Ronnie took up a position as Chaplain at Gympie South where she stayed until 2020.
Ronnie said she still loved Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay and had great memories from her time there.
“I particularly missed Rainbow Beach School and the community spirit, so I applied for a transfer to start back at Rainbow Beach at the beginning of 2021 and was welcomed with open arms,” she said.
“I was involved in KindyLinQ and got to know a lot of the parents and we had a great year getting the garden happening again and being able to support families.
“We had a lot of ideas including putting in for a tuckshop renovation using a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation grant.”
Unfortunately for both the school and for Ronnie, when the mandates came out requiring all staff and volunteers to be vaccinated, she had no choice but to leave.
“I was crushed to leave but our family is firmly against vaccinations, so I lost my job. When the principal (Steve Bennett) asked if I would be there next year, I said no, not if I need to be vaccinated.
“That was really hard, and I didn’t want to go. They had a final assembly for the year where Steve arranged for a beautiful bunch of flowers to be presented to me and I was really upset. I grieved as it was my dream job.”
While chatting to the then School P & C President Jed Elmer and his wife Tyla about what 2022 would look like with mandates, the conversation turned to offering alternative activities for families who were considering homeschooling and an opportunity to give these parents a break.
“I put together a program including sewing, computing, cooking, fishing and art in the first term and the children have really enjoyed it and learnt new skills. We will be introducing new activities in the coming term with the help of some Rainbow Beach locals to keep it fresh and interesting.
“Continuing to be involved in the community kind of saved me because I’m an organiser and planner and feel that’s my gift and I absolutely love working with kids and families.”
At the same time Ronnie started the Community Pantry and kicked it off just before Christmas 2021.
They have had sixty visits from thirty different single people and families since that time, who are doing it tough and genuinely need help, which gave Ronnie and her helpers the chance to support them.
The pantry was run each Tuesday and Thursday from the Church of Good Shepherd on Carlo Road with donations from locals and the assistance of Woolworths Cooloola Cove who are striving for zero landfill by 2025.
Unfortunately, a few weeks ago the Gympie Anglican Church Board decided to enforce the church-wide rule that anyone working or volunteering for the Anglican Church must be vaccinated, so Ronnie was not able to continue with the pantry at the present location.
Kids’ activities were also not permitted and the Learning Community is very grateful to the Rainbow Beach Community Centre who came to the rescue offering space to continue with their activities.
The Learning Community activities are held from 9am to 12 noon Tuesdays and Thursdays to give the parents who are homeschooling a chance to have a break, have a chat, meet other parents, and volunteer as a helper.
“In the afternoon Sarah and Dean from Rainbow Beach Learn to Surf take the kids bushwalking, kayaking, bodyboarding, rock hopping or surfing.”
The Rainbow Beach Community Pantry under the governance of Pindari Life Ltd, a charity dedicated to supporting families, recently became a member of Foodbank which provides fresh produce and pantry items at a reduced cost to charities. Ronnie approached Geoff from McClintock Transport who is willing to transport the food items from Rocklea to Gympie each Monday afternoon, where Ronnie will pick them up and bring to Rainbow on Tuesday mornings. The Pantry will begin operating again on 9 May from a new location TBC with hampers filled with fresh fruit and vegetables and pantry products every Tuesday from 10am until 12noon.
“While I’m not working as a chaplain, I still hope people feel they can talk to me as a chaplain or a friend. I am a trained counsellor and financial counsellor, and I find it very rewarding to be able to help people when they are in need of a listening ear.
“People sometimes just need someone to talk to. Being a chaplain has been the most amazing job and not what I expected, and I hope that even though I am not at the school, I can continue to support the Rainbow Beach community.”
If you would like to register for a hamper which will cost $10 to cover transport and some food items, please give Ronnie a call on 0413 135 867.
