International Men's Day: Honour for serving community

Long-time The Breakfast Club Redcliffe volunteer Allan Young has been granted Life Membership in recognition of the positive impact he’s had on some of the community’s most vulnerable.

Allan, 80, says he was overwhelmed and surprised by the honour when Chairperson Michelle Gilchrist presented him with it in late September.

“At the moment, there’s only five people who’ve got it and three of them are the people who started it (The Breakfast Club Redcliffe),” he says.

“The other two are myself and another gentleman. It meant so much, even though it’s just a piece of paper.”

Michelle says she nominated Allan for the honour because of his longstanding commitment and the considerable effort he had put into the organisation.

“He was a founding member of our first committee and his efforts helped put us where we are today,” she says.

Allan says his association with The Breakfast Club started in 2013, when he retired. At the suggestion of one of his colleagues, he started volunteering with the organisation three days after he finished paid work.

He volunteered for 11 years before scaling back his involvement in July last year to focus on his health. He hopes to return as a volunteer when he is able.

“It’s a service that’s needed badly in Redcliffe. It needs a lot of support from other organisations and business around the Redcliffe Peninsula (for food supplies) because there are more and more people who are homeless,” Allan says.

“My history was hospitality ... I did 54 years in hospitality. I’m a people person and through hospitality you meet different people all the time. It’s the same coming here. They’re strangers when they come in, you sit down and talk to them.”

Allan says providing a meal and forging a genuine connection with people makes a difference.

“They walk in and they look so sad ... you give them breakfast or a dinner, sit down and talk with them ... they walk out happy. They’re a bit pleased that someone’s there to talk with them,” he says.

“It’s just meeting people. You get to know them and can keep an eye out for them. The people who appreciate it, really appreciate it.

“It is very rewarding otherwise I wouldn’t have done it for 11 years.”

The Breakfast Club Redcliffe also honoured Robin Sweeney with Lifetime Membership in September. Robin was one of the organisation’s foundation committee members and a volunteer for many years.

To find out about becoming a volunteer, visit thebreakfastclubredcliffe.org.au