By Hannah McNamara
Mackay Regional Chamber of Commerce and Mackay Engineering College recently partnered to gift two refurbished cars to deserving recipients as part of their Cars for Community initiative. This program allows local students to gain hands-on automotive experience while contributing to a meaningful community cause.
Rebecca Snell, a counsellor for the Trudy Crowley Foundation, was one of those recipients. Ms Snell, who frequently travels long distances to tirelessly provide support to clients, was nominated for her selfless dedication to serving individuals in need. The gift of a car will allow her to continue offering critical home visits and assistance to those in remote areas. She expressed her gratitude, saying, "I’m very shocked, thank you so much.”
“We do a lot of home visits and community work, so it’s going to help greatly with that… I don’t even know what to say."
David Dobbie, a representative from the Salvation Army, also received a car through the program. His new vehicle will be used to assist learner drivers in reaching their required driving hours, an essential step toward obtaining their licenses. Mr Dobbie, like Ms Snell, was deeply appreciative of the students' efforts in fixing the cars, which were previously unroadworthy and destined for the scrap yard.
Simon Korneliussen, an automotive trainer and assessor at Mackay Engineering College, led the project, guiding grade eleven and twelve students from various schools through the complex task of restoring the vehicles.
"Every car comes in with a different set of problems to fix, so it’s a lot of work for them to learn from," Korneliussen said.
The cars required extensive repairs, from timing chain issues to suspension problems and oil leaks. These repairs provided students with real-world experience, enhancing their skills and preparing them for careers in the automotive industry.
The project received tremendous support from local businesses. Repco Mackay, now in its second year as a major sponsor, supplied the necessary parts for the students to complete their repairs. A grant from Major Training also enabled the college to purchase the cars for restoration.
Students, such as Deizel Kite, have found the project extremely invaluable and enjoyable.
"It’s really exhilarating to be able to give to those people in need the cars that we’ve enjoyed working on," Deizel shared.
Director of the Trudy Crowley Foundation, Jacquie Camilleri, praised the work of the students and the organisation behind the initiative for gifting her “beautiful councillor” a new car.
“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for this amazing community of Mackay, that is so giving to us, and here we are again today with other people blessing us,” Ms Camilleri said.
“These beautiful young people here, I just thank you so much for all your hard work, you don’t know what it means to us.”
Rebecca Snell, a counsellor with the Trudy Crowley Foundation, and Salvation Army representative David Dobbie were each provided with new vehicles to support their ongoing, commendable work in the community. Photo credit: Hannah McNamara