City of Greater Dandenong councillor Alan Gordon, left, watches as Dingley Kiwanis president Margaret Gray hands a cheque for $100 to Noble Park-Keysborough president Margaret Irons and Noble Park-Keysborough Lions Club trailer custodian David Poole. The money will help repair the club’s damaged barbecue trailer.
By Shaun Inguanzo
THE hidden heroes of Greater Dandenong’s community service landscape have pitched in funds to help what would once have been their opposition.
The Dingley Kiwanis is a service organisation similar to Lions and Rotary clubs but with a strong focus on helping young, often disadvantaged children.
The club is often unheard of even though most of its 12 members are Greater Dandenong residents.
The Kiwanis concept is part of a global network, which first began in the United States in 1915.
This week, club president Margaret Gray donated $100 on behalf of the club to Noble Park-Keysborough Lions Club towards the repair of the club’s vandalised barbecue trailer and replacement of stolen barbecue equipment.
What makes the gesture extraordinary is that once upon a time, there was an unspoken rivalry between service organisations.
Ms Gray said that time had passed, with organisations realising each could help the community without stepping on the others’ toes.
She said that in an age of dwindling volunteers, it was more important to ensure community service organisations survived.
“(The groups) all once used to be along the lines of ‘we’re better than you’,” Ms Gray said.
“But now everyone finds it hard to get volunteers and new members.”
“Some of our volunteers are getting older, they are past retirement age.
“If we don’t help each other out then Greater Dandenong will not have organisations like ours around to help out.”
Dingley Kiwanis Club has been in operation since 1985, and meets every second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
It raises funds at events, including the Dingley Craft Market, by selling hot dogs and drinks, pet micro-chipping, collecting aluminium cans, running raffles and holding car boot sales.
Ms Gray said the club donated its funds to a variety of causes, most notably the Heartkids organisation attached to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
“I’m a cancer patient, and many in my family were, too,” she said.
“When you go to the Royal Children’s Hospital and look at the cancer ward, it’s actually superb.
“But when you walk around the corner and see what the heart kids have got, it’s nothing at all and that’s very sad.”
