What a whirlwind of activity the past month has been! Thank you all for journeying with us and for your prayers and support! The following few months look like being even busier with events such as Learning from the Locals 2 and the planned book festival in the works. Besides being incorporated, there have been a few other wonderful things that we want to share with you, and ask you to pray for and support if you can.
Firstly, we invite you to join us at Learning from the Locals 2, a networking and learning event that Holy Fools is hosting with Big House Communities. Check out the page on the site for info.
A Few Updates…
Website
The domain name of holyfools.org.au has been approved and we now have a very basic web page up utilising Joomla CMS and the Civicrm system. The website also has updates from the Facebook page for Holy Fools and a sign-up form for any enquiries. Go have a look! We are testing a system to have a directory for homeless services but more on that later.
Thank you to Andrew Waite, one of our Members and to be on the Board, for the provision of hosting through Vuemedia! You will see that emails are now coming from this new domain too.
There is a template that has been found after MUCH searching and testing and costs around 40 Euros. So, if you can help with the funding see below.
Articles of Association
In preparation of applying for DGR (Direct Gift Recipient) and Charity status, the Articles of Association have been rewritten and are available for approval before submission to the Victorian Consumer Affairs. Some of the updates include the addition of a Non-Profit clause, Meetings by Telephone or Other Means of Communication Clause, Professional Advisors and Experts Clause and a few other changes. There is a preliminary copy available here. If you have any other suggested additions or advice — that would be welcome too. Once approved, this will be submitted and provide the basis for the DGR and Charity Tax status application.
Formation of the Board
As part of our formation we need to establish a Board. You are welcome to suggest anyone you feel who identifies with the Statement of Purpose — please let Neal know ASAP. At this stage, Andrew Waite has agreed to be on the Board. Neal is meeting next week with outspoken Catholic Priest Father Bob Maguire from the Father Bob Foundation as to his interest on joining the Board or on becoming an Advisor to the Board. This area needs a lot of prayer and thought to ensure we have the best possible people involved. If you are interested, let us know.
Directory of Homeless Services
Part of the first series of projects is the establishment of a Directory of Community Meals to go under a directory of Homeless and Community Services — maybe even the establishment of a separate site. An issue has been finding a suitable Component for Joomla that allows a Directory with multiple categories and inclusion of Google Maps. There is one that has been found that costs around US$20. I have emailed the developers to ask if they will donate the components and hope to have an answer early this week.
Prayer Points
- Please continue to pray for over 105,000 homeless, mainly women, youth and children in Australia, for their safety, welfare and wellbeing, as well as the provision of needs such as employment, health, homes and stability.
- For the myriad of welfare agencies and NGO’s including churches who serve and strive to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of lives here in Australia.
- For the our Governments, Federal, State and Local, that they may all identify the greater issues and allow for laws, funding and recognition of solutions and the impact that homelessness and poverty is having on our country. In addition, that they would recognise the humanity of the asylum seekers and refugees who are in Australia or seeking to come, legally and illegally.
- For Neal who is meeting with Father Bob Maguire on Monday to seek his approval to join the Board.
- For Neal and his family, that they be safe, be provided for, and be free to make a difference in the community.
- For Holy Fools, that it will grow, be governed wisely, have smooth growth and development to become a registered non-profit and charity. That it will become what has been set out in the Statement of Purposes.
- For the provision of funding to allow the website and the directory to be developed and become a resource for the community and agencies. We need at least $200 to get the site running for information and as a community resource.
- If anyone would like to donate a copy of the latest Office for Mac — it would be appreciated!
I know this has been a long newsletter! I want to also add a blog plugin to the Joomla template that will allow for newsletters with links to the articles. Thank you for taking the time to read and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Neal.
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