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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Let's make a diffence

I have some links for you for those that couldn't come to the wedding. Now I am going to be posting a lot of pictures that were taken but I have to wait until I get them all.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/10/24/3346510.htm

http://vimeo.com/31201234

What to do from here?

I feel like I have completed my journey in many ways and a new life is about to start. Now I know I'm going to be upsetting some people with this next bit but it's time for me to step up and become the husband and father that I am and support my family.

In a few weeks I will be leaving 'The Big Issue' for a few reasons, but mostly because I have a family now and a place to call home and the pitch I work is a great pitch were people have become friends and are friendly towards there Big Issue vendor so it would help the next vendor in a big way. I keep thinking of when I needed the Big Issue at the start and the thing that helped me the most is that people were nice to me. Mostly in the morning but people are in the habit of stopping for a quick chat and this would help the next vendor that is starting off.

I have been offered a 'shoe shine franchise' ( I think that's how you spell it) to me it's a great deal. It'll be my own business were people come sit in the chair and I shine there shoes, like in the movie except I'm better looking and very polite. They are going to let me do a 'no upfront cost deal' and they set it all up. All I have to do is go to work and shine shoes and all the money goes to me, so the harder I work the more I earn. I will have to pay the franchise people money but it's not that much.

If I find I can't work because of my back then I'll just put a sign up saying “Back in soon” or something like that. Now this isn't starting for a few weeks and I know people will want to come by and say goodbye but that's the best part, I'm only about 50 metres down the road and people can still come for there chat except I'll give them a chair to sit on. Ha ha.

I'll still be doing my Amway as well because I'm starting to do really well at it and soon be making good money from it. So if you wanted to join or see the business plan or just want to buy products please let me know. This includes people in other states and countries.

Also I'm doing Jewellery Parties at nights and weekends which I make really fun using Emma Page Jewellery. I do them at my house or if you want to invite friends I'll come to your house and you get host gifts. To be honest the more parties the better at the moment because I'm sure the shoe shine will be successful but will need time to take off.

Right now people are thinking what about the homeless. I will always help the homeless because I know what it's like and I know sometimes all it takes is for someone to care at that right moment and it could change there lives. I'm going to finish them side pages about where homeless helps are in the states and of course the homeless BBQ'S are going to be getting bigger.

Speaking of which the Ipswich homeless BBQ is coming up on the 27th of November at Browns park from 10am to 2pm, so it's time for me to do my plea thing. Ha ha.

The homeless BBQ'S help in a big way because not only do they come and get clothes, toiletries, kids toys, sleeping bags and such things but also there's a social BBQ where the community comes together and says “Hi Mate” and shows people care because the most valuable thing you can ever give is your time.

I am asking if everyone to take that one day out of there important lives and come and show that the community cares and make this a real 'Mates helping Mates' event. I mean the last one I know we were able to help a lot of people but this time let's help many more.

If you can do any of these as well as come then please call or email me.

Marques about 20. Now people may own one and could bring it.
Industrial size BBQ'S hire.
BBQ food. Really if 40 people bought $20 worth of meat there would be heaps.
Bread about 130 loafs
250 cans of drinks plus I have some to donate. I buy when there cheap.
One freezer or cold room truck to keep things cold
50 tables
60 chairs
A big van or vans to move things.
A few boxes of sauce (Tomato and BBQ)
Clothes, toiletries, ladies personal products, kids toys and things like that are very much needed.
It would be great if anyone has room to store things at there house that way when people email or call and say they want to donate then I can send them to drop off things with you for the BBQ event.

Please if you go through your cupboards there's clothes you never use any more. I know there's going to be a person that needs it at the BBQ. All unused clothes and things not taken will be handed to homeless centres.

If any organisations would like to attend then please contact me as it's free as long as you help the homeless in some way and nothing is sold on the day.

I'd like to thank you all for reading my blog and I really hope you all can come and enjoy a BBQ with us at Browns Park on the 27th of November.

If anyone would like to call or email me please do.
0412 190 011 or grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com
Thank you again
Grant the polite guy

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Wedding done

Well the wedding was a huge success, I am now a married man, a family man, a complete man. I really feel my life has taken a complete circle and back to the beginning again.

Before my accident I was married and had everything in life that makes most people happy (well me at least. Ha ha) Then I had the accident and everything fell apart. I got it all back. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and I found it. I can say I have shared a few tears of joy over the last few days. ( I know men don't cry but maybe it was sand in my eye. Ha ha)

The day itself went very well except of course the little panic of the guy marrying us was late by an hour. Imagine waiting there and then being told your wife to be was starting her walk and then the thought of thinking the preacher wasn't there yet. Not good. She was told to go back to the car and do laps until the preacher turned up. Ha ha. I thought the bride was to be late.

But he turned up and said them special words and everything was going every well until Cheryl was asked to place the ring on my finger, It didn't fit!! so there I was pushing and pushing trying to get this ring on. Someone loud out “spit on it” only to get my reply “there's camera's all around me, I'm not going to spit anywhere” ha ha oh it hurt a lot but I got that sucker on my finger and the wedding continued and we were married.

Now I have a lot of people to thank for my wedding being so great and really making it that much more special.

Samies Girl Seafood Market 31314120 They turned up and cooked all the food and just made it look wonderful. Please if you ever want seafood call them.

Rachael the Opera Singer 0403073751 Now this lady can sing, I must say I'm hard to impress and I was impressed. Golden voice.

The Sunday Mail sent a photographer to take photo's which will be in Q Mag in a few weeks.

612 ABC radio with Spencer Howson, they did a huge thing helping me to put it all together.

Can_do_Campbell from twitter went on the air with ABC612 radio and asked for help putting our wedding together and paid for a 5 star motel for wedding night.

Andy our photographer 0434381199 is putting a business together as a photographer I'll be showing his photo's when there ready.

Jemma from Lucid Living Pictures 0433466423have done great job putting the day on video. I will post here when I get it.


Now I hate to brag, who am I kidding I had nothing and living on the streets not knowing what was happening next, and now I'm married and living with my wife and daughter. It's bragging time! I have done it, I made it back to what I had before my accident. People talk about looking for that light at the end of the tunnel well I became my own light. WOOHOO

Now I know I have a long way to go but now it feels like I'm not alone. I'm a family man that has value and going by the friends that helped and the ones that went to my wedding there's no way I would feel alone. So what to do now? Help others that need it.

Ipswich Mates helping Mates BBQ is still going ahead on the 27th of November from 10am to 2pm which will help countless again. These BBQ'S are great because we invite all homeless organisations to have a stall with there information about there services and the homeless and needy come and enjoy a BBQ, as much clothes and things as they can carry away and the information is there to find easy without it being pushed on.

But the most important thing to me anyway is the community coming together as one to help those in need. We have stalls and stalls of free clothes,kids toys, toiletries and much more to just hand out to the homeless and while there enjoying a BBQ there's lots of people walking around and just chatting. I've said a lot the one thing homeless value and need the most is to feel more valued in themselves and sitting with people and chatting gives them that.

So please I'm doing another collection of
Clothes- all sizes men and women
Kids toys
Toiletries is a huge thing needed (including ladies pads)

Things needed to put this all together for the day
Marquees about 20
6 industrial size BBQ'S hire
BBQ food LOTS
Bread about 130 loaves
250 cans of drinks
One freezer or cold room truck small one
50 Tables
60 chairs
Your time coming talking to homeless
Companies wishing to show there business are welcome to have a stall for free as long as they help the homeless in some way and nothing is to be sold on the day.

If you can help with a bit or some of these please let me know on
Grant 0412 190 011 or
grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you will pass it on to others so the Ipswich event gets even bigger and therefore helps that many more.

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

Thursday, October 13, 2011

10 Days to Wedding

Now I don't want any one person thinking I'm talking about them with this because really it's not true. The fact is many have said something like the same.

“Grant you inspire me with everything you have gone through and your so positive and do for others.”

To be honest when it's said to me I really don't know what to say so I'll type it here instead. Ha ha Much easier.

I was one of the happiest guy's around because I had everything. I worked hard in charge of a kitchen in a restaurant with a loving wife, daughter and of course my little dog.

I had the worst day of my life. Floor boards gave way on a old stair way. I don't like talking or writing about the accident really because umm well it's just sad but I got a lot of damage done.

I spent the next 9 months in and out of hospital and being in some of the worst pain a person could imagine.

The easiest movements were painful and I hit rock bottom thinking I had no value as a person and left my wife and started sleeping on the streets. I stopped looking people in the eyes and laid on benches just waiting to waste away. I hope this helps people because I hurts to write.

Now all that is sad and not nice to read but really so many people showed me kindness when I accept it and needed it most. I owe them everything I am now as a person. You see when you meet great people that really go out of there way to not just show they care but to help far and beyond what most would, then you start standing tall and if anything want to be like them and help others.

So I do that. I offer 'pies and cokes' a lot and give people the one thing they need and that's a friend to talk to. Now I know what I do is only like putting a band-aid on and when I go the only difference is that there feed, but really I think it helps more then that because maybe just maybe they feel more part of the community and that's a great start.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I know what it's like to be out there alone and people looking down on them because it always happened to me. No matter what success I ever get in life from now on I will always look and treat them as an equal because I have meet some of the greatest and smartest homeless people that really hit hard times or something happened in there lives that others don't know about.

So I ask every reader in Australia and around the world, “Can you spare about $5.00 for a pie and coke and maybe 5 minutes for a chat” I earn about $200 a week most weeks and I spare it all the time.

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I have my wedding coming up in about 10 days now and I couldn't be happier. Don't get me wrong it's a head trying to get everything to make it a great day for my soon to be wife (girls always think about the dream wedding. Ha ha)

There's 3 people that have really helped in a huge way and to be honest I don't think I'd have much of a wedding without them.

@Can_do_Campbell on Twitter is truly a remarkable man. He heard about the wedding and asked what I needed for it and went on the ABC radio and not only asked for people to donate for the wedding but also promoted 'Mates helping Mates' and helping homeless also has spoken to all his friends about it as well. Every time I speak to him he always has that 'mate no-matter what it is we can find a way' kind of attitude. I must say in my book he's Ace's because he is very successful and yet he has time for those who have hit hard times. I know there's great people in the world and @Can_do_Campbell is one of them. Thank you mate



Alicia Wright- has helped so much with organising different things and she had a mild stroke a week ago and yet from hospital was thinking of others. Really what a great lady, people say to me about sainthood well put her at the top of the list to be next.

Andrew Stanke- works for the NAB bank and a guy I consider a true mate, he always offers to help in some way with the homeless any way he can. Just the other day I only made $20 working all day when I rang Andrew and said I needed help because I had to get things for the wedding. The man drove to the city and handed me $500 which I needed for bills that were overdue and a box of doughnuts to hand out to the homeless. But to top it off last week he asked me to meet him at his work and we had a steak lunch at a pub and then went to his work were he had a massage lady there waiting to give me a massage for all the good I have been doing. I mean what a great guy.

Now there's a lot of great people out there that do a lot of great things and I know I'll get to writing about them too. My dad always said “never judge a person by what they have, but the number of mates they can call mates” I have mates that I can call mates even some homeless ones.

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Please remember about the 'Pie and coke' thing how it may not cost you much but it really is worth millions to others.

I'm going to ask people that they share this story because maybe it might reach someone somewhere that thinks, Pie and a coke thing sounds good and helps someone.

I still have only had one person get something from our wedding list that I put up and I was told by a few people that they didn't want to go through another person so what I'm doing is asking if people want to order anything from our list you can put money in my bank or through my 'donation button' and email me what you are getting. Remember I get the commission which I'm putting towards the wedding.
St. George Bank
BSB 114 879
ACC 026900710 Thank you

Email is grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com
Phone is 0412 190 011

I'd like to thank everyone for reading my blog and I hope you all have a great day.
Grant the Polite Guy

P.S I almost forgot to mention it. I now have a twitter account it's @grantpoliteguy if anyone wants to befriend me there. Thank you