Devonport Times - June - First Section - Devonport City Council

One year on for Gran’s Van
ON JUNE 5, 2006, a project
began in Devonport to give
a sustaining meal each
Monday, Wednesday and
Friday evening to the city’s
homeless and needy people.
Gran’s Van is a mobile
soup kitchen which operates
from 7pm to 7.30pm in
West Devonport and from
8pm to 8.30pm in East
Devonport.
Devonport High School
students make hot, thick
soup and volunteers prepare
sandwiches and rolls.
Often biscuits, cakes and
other food and soft drinks
are donated by Devonport
residents and businesses.
The van itself was donated
by Jeff and Alina
Gambin of the Just Enough
Faith philanthropic organisation
from Sydney, who
learned of the project
through Yolanda Da Rue, a
young teacher and author
of Devonport.
There are 290 volunteers,
who prepare food, drive
and serve on the van.
The Devonport and Reece
high and Devonport Central
and East Devonport
primary schools have supported
Gran’s Van by growing
pumpkins, collecting
socks and warm clothing,
packing small bags of chocolate
and in many other
diverse ways.
The North-West community
has been extraordinarily
generous with donations
of food, warm
clothing, and money.
Since it began one year
ago, more than 1300 meals
have been served.
The clients are polite,
courteous and very appreciative.
Volunteers are trained to
offer friendship with no
preaching or personal questions
and find the experience
very rewarding.
The service is managed
by the Gran’s Van Association.
The Tasmanian Government
gave an initial grant
of $20,000 to help set up the
service.
— By founder Mary Binks
Gran’s Van founder Mary Binks says the service has provided
more than 1300 meals in its first year.
Tara-Lee takes to the road to gain some independence
Helping our injured wildlife
THE North-West Coast is blessed with many native
animals, unfortunately they often try to cross busy roads.
According to statistics released by AAMI and Sweeney
Research, drivers in Tasmania are more likely to hit an
animal than in any other state.
About 74 per cent of drivers surveyed said they had hit
a domestic or native animal, with almost 40 per cent
saying they did not stop to see if the animal survived.
The statistics showed that kangaroos and wallabies were
the most commonly hit animals.
Julie-Ann Archer of Wildlife Management Branch said
there was no specific organisation that deals with injured
wildlife on the roads.
There is a database of volunteer services who will assist
if needed but Julie-Ann stressed, they were volunteers.
The Wildlife Management Branch’s staff will retrieve
phone messages and monitor the phones after hours and
on weekends on a voluntary basis.
But it was important to know what to do if you did hit
an animal, Julie-Ann said.
If an animal is injured, the best thing to do is put it in
a box and keep it away from loud noises such as
domestic pets and televisions.
The next step is to take it to the vet or call the Wildlife
Management Branch to get a volunteer out to help.
Julie-Ann said it was important to realise an animal may
be distressed and react badly to being handled.
■ The Wildlife Management Branch can be contacted
on 6233 6556.
— SARAH NICOL
DEVONPORT teenager Tara-Lee
Roberts, 16, recently obtained
her learner drivers licence.
The Devonport Times will follow
her progress as she learns to
drive in preparation for her
provisional licence test.
So far, I love driving and
want to drive as often as
possible. I have taken four
lessons with the RACT and
am lucky enough to have
my mum, step-dad and stepmum
take me on lessons.
My first lesson at the
RACT was in a car park
practicing stopping and
starting — it was the first
time I’d ever really driven.
But I still had to try a
reverse park, which I
hated. I don’t like reversing
in general, I am so scared of
hitting new cars.
I have been trying to get
out on the road every night
or two. I usually drive from
Devonport to Latrobe then
to Penguin and back.
Mum panics a bit but is
learning to let me take
control of the car.
I haven’t been in the
traffic much and usually
stick to the country roads.
Traffic lights and
roundabouts prove to be a
Devonport teenager Tara-Lee Roberts recently obtained her learners drivers licence. She
shares her journey on the big road to passing her provisional licence test.
tad stressful. At
roundabouts I wait for all
the other cars to pass first,
even then I don’t like
turning right, just straight
ahead or left.
I’ve been trying to get out
in lots of conditions. I’ve
driven at night and that
was OK; I’ve been on dirt
roads and in a bit of fog.
But I have not driven in the
rain yet because mum is
scared I will lose control.
Most of my friends are
also learning to drive. Life
is so much easier if you can
drive yourself around.
But being a learner is
pretty hard. The other
drivers seem to be fairly
ignorant of learners.
Cars pull out in front of
me because I’m not going
as fast as them and they
beep their horns.
On the highway it is OK
because the cars just
overtake me. It is hard to
stick to 80km/h though
when everyone else is
going so much faster.
I have my own car but
have been having lessons
in my mum’s car, which is
fairly easy to drive.
Devonport Times June 2007 Page 7