Snowball Effect

This is the most important first. The BBQ event has been moved to 10am to 4pm on the 17th of July AT Musgrave Park South Brisbane. I know this will upset a few plans people may have had but really it was out of my control the council said The New Farm Park was not big enough to hold so many people. Ha ha.

You know how sometimes you start with a great idea and it snowballs into something else. Well here a great example. I started just wanting to collect clothes for a homeless centre which I did for Micah and that was a great success so I thought I'd share the love and collect clothes for another homeless centre as well. But this time I said I'd help with having a small BBQ out the front of the centre as well. Sounds easy, ha ha.

Now we are having a BBQ at Musgrave Park instead and because all homeless won't be coming and to get at least 1,000 there I'm printing 5,000 flyers just for the homeless to invite. Handing them out using the homeless centres and food vans. There's going to be at least a few thousand working people too.

Here's the 'snowball effect', because I'm having so many more people I have to get so many more things just to have a BBQ. I need Port-a-loo's, Security, First Aid, Insurance, a lot more food and the most important thing, a cold beer for me afterwards for doing a great job. Ha ha

I remember talking to the Council Guy and he's telling me all the different things I need for this and I'm thinking I just wanted that small little BBQ. Ha ha. For a couple of years now I have had to face the fact I can't do a lot of things because of my back and injuries and I must say sometimes I think I use it as a way of not trying when things get tough.

This BBQ will happen and if I need more things there then so be it I'll find a way to get them. I am in my heart needing to do this because to be honest it could help so many people out there (not just the homeless) that not putting it together would be a crime.

The one thing I laughed at was someone coming to me and saying this BBQ could be a yearly event, well I laughed and thought that was funny then I heard someone else say it and it wasn't as funny, now I've heard it about 50 times now from people and I kept thinking how I only wanted to do a small BBQ for about 20 homeless. This event if successful will be a yearly event, maybe every 6 months. But I have to get the first one done right first.

I got a message this morning asking if I had set up a charity for this yet? And asking if I wanted help setting it up. The first thought I had was I have less then $50 total and I'm a Big Issue Vendor. How did this snowball from a small BBQ to a huge event maybe every 6 months and setting up a charity. Let my be the first to say HELP I NEED HELP. Ha ha. But after thinking about it I am going to set up a charity and it will be worldwide known as a charity that helps the homeless and needy. Oh I'm going to need help if anyone wants to come in.

So I'm going to write here all things I need and if people could reply and tell me what they could do to help then please do.
Port-a-loo's
More Marquee's
Big BBQ'S
Security/Police officers(work and eat at same time)
Insurance for event
Food and Drinks
First Aid Officers

If anyone works for or can help with something on that list please email or call me. grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com or 0412 190 011.
Now I am willing to let any company come and have a stall and signs as long as there doing something for the homeless. Eg Bank gives money boxes or anything like that.

For the people collecting Clothes, Kids Toys, Can Food, Toiletries, Books, Blankets and things firstly let me say thank you and if I'm able to I'd like some people to store from others so we can arrange things like all men's clothes in one area on the day. So if you can ask as many people as you know to look and see if there's anything they could donate then overall we will have a huge hall of things to give. If people can't stall all the things please contact me and I can ask others to pick them up.

I started handing out fliers to all my customers and so far about 180 and asking them to put that flier on a notice board and ask people that work there to donate things for the homeless. I'm not that good with computers but I'll put it up here and people can copy and use it or if anyone wants to email me I'll email it to them to put it on there notice boards.

Isn't it amazing how good things snowball into something great.

Please note that in the last 14 days only one donation has came through and that was $20. Please if I'm going to help with this BBQ then I will need to pay for things. Please donate with the donation box on the top left.

I thank you for reading my posting and if you can please share this post with everyone, there's little boxes near the comment box to share with Facebook and things. The bigger this event is the more people we can help because the community is coming together to help.
Thank you again.
Grant the Polite Guy.

Pull My Finger

Firstly I'm sorry I haven't been posting as much as I should have, but to honest I've been busy trying to put this BBQ together.
Let me say it's not easy putting a BBQ together for 1,000 homeless and 1,500 working people with only fresh air and a smile. Ha ha. But let me say I'm doing great with what I have. This BBQ will help a lot of people.
I was just looking and I haven't done a funny story for a while because I was writing serious stuff so this ones going to make up for lost time. Ha ha.
Oh I laugh and cry whenever I think of this story. Do not read this if you have a weak stomach or just eaten.
Imagine a group of guys sitting around drinking and just having fun telling jokes and things. Then one of them says “pull my finger” and farted as someone did. It's the oldest joke in the book but everyone still laughed even me. Ha ha.
Then one of us thought it'd be great to hold a small flame at the back end as someone farted and watch the flame get bigger for that split second. DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME. Ha ha. I thought I'd put a warning in just in case kids are reading.
So there we were drinking and when the need came to fart you'd drop your pants and everyone else would hover around laughing and one would hold the lighter already lit. Then a fart would come and a puff of flame would quickly fire up. Well all except two guys had a go at making a puff.
I shouldn't name his name, but TOM kept laughing and saying “I'm building a big one that will fill your lighter up with gas” Well everyone laughed and the night went on. Then Tom quickly shouted “get it ready here goes” 4 guys quickly moved in quickly with one ready with the lighter.
Now imagine this you have 4 guys waiting and yelling for him to hurry up and push as hard as he can to get a bigger flame. He pushed hard and fast to push out a huge fart. Yep you guessed it he had gastric and it sprayed everywhere, apart from where it hit the guys the spray went for at least a metre. The 4 guys didn't even see it coming. Now anything I write from here about this is well just dirty. Ha ha.
There is a follow up with this. Tom was aloud to drink with us again but for his birthday we pooled together and got him a butt-plug to block it up as a laugh. Before anyone asks me if I was one of the 4 guys let me make it clear NO I wasn't. As funny as it was watching the flame puff I was not fast enough to get there in time. Ha ha life is good.

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I was on a bus the last week when a mother and a little girl got on the bus and sat on the next seat over from mine. The little girl (about 2yr) said “look at my new purse” holding it up for me to see, I started saying how nice her purse looked and how it matched her outfit. The mum started telling me that life has just gone down hill lately since just before the floods we had.
Because I had to get off the bus I couldn't wait to call her and get the rest of the story so I called. I found out that Effie had split from her partner taking herself and daughter Krystal-Lee to move in with friends and storing all they own at there which happen to be North Booval which as most would know went under-water with the flood. I asked how high the water went which she quickly said to the roof.
I started thinking this is bad so I began saying less and listening more, because sometimes people just want to talk about there troubles and have someone listen.
Effie went on to tell me how everything she owned including white goods, furniture, clothes and all photo's and personal things was washed away. So I asked what about the money given by the Government? She told me it was only a $1,000 because the house was not in her name and couldn't get any more assist from anywhere.
I asked about family and she said most of her family live interstate and she can't move because Krystal-Lee's dad was living in Brisbane but he don't see her much in fact this weekend is the first weekend he's going to have her since they separated.
I started saying how I had to restart and it's not easy then I mentioned about the BBQ on the 10th of July and the fact that people like her was the reason I'm putting it together. I explained that clothes and things would be given to all homeless and people in need with all the services and people to talk to.
After going into a lot of detail about the BBQ and how much it will help her I asked where she's living now? Because it was over the phone I can't say for sure but the more she talked the more I was sure she was giving up on herself when she told me about going from friends houses to friends houses and how it wasn't stable for her little girl.
Now I'm going to keep in contact with Effie and I have already asked her to help set up at the BBQ just to make sure she comes on the day and I'll try get her and her daughter as much help as I can.

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I'd like to thank you for reading my blog a bigger thank you for the 1 person to donate $10 towards the BBQ in the last 10 days. This might sound harsh but really I'm trying to do something so great here putting this BBQ together and there's only so many things I can ask to be donated.
If you like my stories please donate towards the BBQ which is only in 3 weeks.
I hope you all have a great day and thank you for reading again.
Grant the Polite Guy.
P.S Please if everyone and look around and collect clothes and things to donate it would be going to a great course.
If you have any ideas please use this comment box or email me grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

BBQ for all

Oh have I got great news to share. First of all for a few weeks now I've had to keep this hush hush but now I can say please buy the Sunday Mail (Newspaper) this Sunday. I'm in it. YEAH. Ha ha.

Okay now if you haven't read my blog for a while you may not know about my BBQ I'm doing. Well let me say shame on you for not reading it everyday. Ha ha No really I'm excited about what is coming together so well. But I'll explain what I'm doing.

This BBQ will have about 1,000 homeless people and about 1,500 working people. I know what a big BBQ but really I help the homeless by giving pies and cokes a lot, but this is going to help about a 1,000 at once. Here's the plan.

I'm asking everyone I know to help with this one. On the day homeless people will turn up and be given clothes and toiletries and having a great BBQ. I have even worked out to get a make up artist to do make-up for the ladies that want it. Now the best is Jemma from Lucid Living Pictures is going to be doing a 'Before and after pictures' for those that want them. So really what it means is they get lots of clothes and for some that want to put them on, then we can some them how great they look.

While eating there BBQ there's going to be 1,500 working people to talk too and let them feel part of our community. Being a BBQ means it's a social event and most people talk to others at social event and with so many working people around as well maybe some will rub off onto the homeless.

Now that's not all that's turning up. We have people coming from Mental Health, The Scouts, Drug Arm which has one of the Food Vans that help homeless everyday in the streets and many more yet to confirm to come.

But the best of all I have lot's of emails from people saying there collecting clothes and toiletries from everywhere to donate for this. Really is this the community coming together for the homeless or what!! ha ha.

Now I still get every now and then “your just a Big Issue Vendor” well let me say this Big Issue Vendor cares about not just myself but those I can help as well. Like really how many people would want to set-up a BBQ for 2,500 people at a park just to help the homeless. Ha ha (only crazy ones because it's a lot of work. Ha ha)

So I'm asking all please come and have a BBQ with me and maybe help someone by showing you care by giving the best gift of all 'your time'.

OH and I'm asking for everyone to please look and see if there's any clothes or blankets or really anything you never want to see again (no husbands donated please) Just bring them to our BBQ and enjoy the day or bring to me in the city any day. If you have a lot then maybe someone may be able to do a pick up, also I've been asking people every time they go to the shops to buy things please grab one toiletries item and just put in a bag. At the end of the 5 weeks there may be a few things to donate.

If people want to ask friends and neighbours for clothes and things for the homeless then just say Grant the polite guy said so and they can come to the BBQ too. Ha ha Then give them my blog address and I get more readers and help for the BBQ. Ha ha Life is good.

Some people ask me why I'm doing this because I need to get on my feet as well. Well to be honest I'm doing things like this because I feel it needs to be done in my heart. You don't need to have a lot of money to help people just a good heart. There's plenty of people with more money then they will ever spend yet never help anyone. As I've always said “Helping people is not a duty but the right thing to do”

So here's my plea. On the 10th of July from 10am to 4pm at New Farm Park I'm having a BBQ where I'm going to help as many homeless as possible and I ask you all to collect what you can and bring it to our BBQ and give it to someone that needs it and oh course enjoy a great BBQ, Aussie way.

I will add, the most important things is clothes that can be used for job interviews and warm things because winter is coming.

This is going to be a great day so come join us.

I would like to thank you all for reading my blog. Please, to make this BBQ bigger invite all you know to read this post, an easy way to do this is by clicking one of the buttons next to the comments box oh and of course come yourselves. If you would like to donate money please do so with the donation button at the top left of the screen.

I hope you all have a great day and thank you again.
Grant the Polite Guy.

A Bird In The Hand

Now I must admit I get busy or to be honest I don't have much money and I can't spare much to do posts, But let me tell you about a beautiful girl I know (sorry guys she has a great boyfriend, I know I asked. haha)and yes i have done a post about her in the past Jemma Gorring. Now Jemma has been so kind to me that she is a person I can be proud to say she's my friend. Always asking how things are and really deep down a great person. Well one night she tells me how excited she was about putting together her first short film and you won't believe me but of all the great people she know's she asked me to introduce it on stage. I mean I was so proud just to be there but to be asked to introduce it, 3 words came to mind all night "Manners mean everything" so Phoebe and I stepped on the stage and I talked about my experiences before and since making the short documentary with Jemma Gorring and Phoebe Escott-kenny titled Grant The Polite Guy to an audience where both this film, and Jemmas new film A Bird In The Hand were screened.

It was a wonderful night and I wanted to share with you here today just a few more things of Jemma’s as I think she makes wonderfully touching films and these should be viewed by everyone! First off, on the night she was selling DVD’s of her new film ‘A Bird In The Hand’ which can only be exclusively seen if you buy a copy. She still has a few more for sale and they are $20 each plus $5 postage which you can buy from her website HERE



All proceeds go towards the fees and costs involved in entering this film into short film festivals around the world, which is really all she wants – for her work to be seen. Which brings me to the next part that you can do to support her, just look at her work! She runs her own film and photography business called Lucid Living Pictures and you can like her on facebook, follow her on twitter or subscribe to her on youtube (and if your feeling super generous you can do all three!) The links are below so please take the time to do at least one. Thanks so much for reading, and please don’t forget about my BBQ fundraiser for the homeless on July 10th, all the information is on my blog here http://grantthepoliteguy.blogspot.com/2011/06/bbq.html?spref=fb

LIKE Lucid Living Pictures on Facebook

FOLLOW Lucid Living Pictures on Twitter

SUBSCRIBE to Lucid Living Pictures on Youtube

VIEW Lucid Living Pictures Online

PS - If you are after any photographic work in the Brisbane area at an affordable price, mention this blog to get 10% off if you book before the end of July 2011! Just email jemma@lucidlivingpictures.com for a free quote!

BBQ

Oh have I done it now. I was on the phone with the manager of 139 Club Inc. (which is a Homeless Centre that helps homeless with lots of things.) talking with Elwin about doing another clothing collection so they can be handed out to the homeless. Well there I was talking away next thing I know I'm saying about maybe having a B.B.Q out the front of there place on a Sunday and handing the clothes directly to them at the same time.

Then I thought how about helping more people at once a B.B.Q at the park and have all Homeless centres tell everyone that comes through there doors about it. Here's how I see it, I do the pies and drink thing a lot and I know it helps but it helps only for one day, but having a B.B.Q in a park and helping hundreds with food and clothes and things like that. Now that may make a difference.

An event, B.B.Q'S going with tables and tables of clothes and shoes and toiletries. Also some entertainment in the background. I can ask charities to help out as well with different things. I might even get someone to do face painting for the kids. I could ask people from job clubs to come too. But the most important thing would be asking people to just come a say hi to everyone. The way I see it is that if homeless people feel special from people taking time to just say hi then it may be what they need to get back on there feet. Hey if I set this up and it helps one person to get on his or her feet faster then it's more then worth it.

So on the 10th of July at New Farm Park which is in 5 weeks OHNO only 5 weeks. I'm going to have a great B.B.Q so I'm inviting all my friends here and the wonderful customers I have to meet all my new friends which I haven't meet yet.

So what to do to make this work? I don't know, I have never did one of these before. Ha ha. I'm going to reach out to all the contacts I have and ask very politely to help with things.

Well I'm going to ask everyone to go through there clothes again and donate what they can. I was also thinking of asking people when they go grocery shopping again to maybe buy an extra bottle of shampoo or a soap bar or razors. Then put them aside and bring them to the B.B.Q to donate. That would help heaps.

I'll be looking for people who would be able to cook the BBQ or do salads, hand bags of free stuff out, face paint, entertainment, and the biggest job of all be yourselves and say “hi” to someone.

Well now that I have lost half my readers. Ha ha. I'll be serious, Doing this one day could make a huge difference to people and I think it not can be done but needs to be done. A lot of people come to me and say things like “Grant your a Top Guy” and “I'm glad I know you Grant” well I heard it once. Ha ha. But the point is before I started doing the Big Issue I was the same as the worst guy that turns up to this. Sometimes people are looking for that turning point in life and if this event helps just one person it's worth doing it 10 times over.

I say “Who's with me to make a really difference and say it's time and were here to help” Right now I'm thinking of two things.
1/That movie The 3 musketeers saying “All for one and one for all” (yes I have music playing and I raised my fist in the air) ha ha.

2/Most of these people have families.

So I asking anyone and everyone, for this I'll need clothes, can food, toiletries, shoes, blankets and everything for a B.B.Q (meat, bread, salads, sauces and everything else) If anyone can help please do because this is doing a great thing.

Now I had to think of a name for this event and trust me the first was Grant's mates. Ha ha. But this is bigger then me and it would lose the meaning so I thought about it and came up with 'Mates Helping Mates' That way everyone has the same title 'Mate' and it's the Aussie way. A mate helping out a mate when he needs it.

I'll be honest if no-one helps I'll still do this but it won't be as good and have less meaning, but if 100 people help out and the day is a huge success then maybe it'll show people care.

I thank you very much for reading my story and please if you like it then tell others. I have the donation button on the top left of the page and really if I needed help it's now so I can make this happen.
Thank you again and I hope you have a great day.
Grant the Polite Guy

P.S If you can volunteer for this BBQ please let me know in an email on grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com