Services and things to keep the budget on track this year.

 

 Hey, guys, this is a back-to-basics post and I recently discovered that some support workers don’t know what services are out there that can help people with disabilities or have misconceptions about what some of these places can provide, this is focused on my area Toowoomba but in the comments feel free to add what you have in your are as well and feel free to add to in for your area’s and even things that I am not aware of online. As we see despite the digital divide in the disability community some sometimes people will help them access things, such as education, training, or even websites that help communication and sell things.   Also, this won’t be everything around it’s just what I am aware of and how to work with clients that are motivated as I know that some people aren’t motivated to save or to achieve their goals, and need to be pushed as well. As there would be more work in meal prepping and or for clothing might need soaking before wearing.  I am not going to list by swap and sell groups as we are all aware of them but they are also great for kitchen items, furniture, toys, and sometimes food but you need to have transport to get it so this is why I will only touch on it. But it's part of continuing education to know what services and connections are in their areas to help a client. 

Groceries and Food.

These would need a bit more organization and planning but do have better quality produce and are overall cheaper as well,

·       Aldi

·       The reject store ( great for cleaning products and snacks)

·       Silly Solies ( great for craft and cleaning products)

·       PCYC Sunday markets 

·       Cob and Co farmers markets ( can be a bit more expensive but have fewer food miles)

·       Food assistance on  the corner of Mort and Campbell st Toowoomba

·       Loaves’ and fishes ( these have a supermarket at the back and do $75 food hampers)

For clothing and other items, secondhand does not mean second best.

·       So we have Tony’s op shop on North st (be prepared to hunt and they also have groceries as well)

·       We have St Vincents on Ruthven St has a combination of both new and used products, books, clothes, and household items. (also a great place to volunteer )

·       Save the children on the Ruthven set (near the old shrine church)

·       Civic church does wraparound support in fiscal support and teaches people how to manage their money and have a hidden gem of an op shop.

 

Often we are seeking free or low-cost things to do, so in the Toowoomba regional areas there are plenty of parks to walk in and for mobility aid users the rose garden is probably the best as well.

We have the library and with a card, you can not only access the physical collection but also streaming and online learning as well.

Then if they have access to regular internet there are some great online communities to be found on Tumblr, Discord, and Twitch if they are into fan art, talking to others, or gamers, and some of these can be monetized as well.  Keeping with the online keeping an eye on Facebook and Reddit community pages can lead you to gems to do such as live gigs at bars or day centres or services that might be of interest to that person.