12:00a.m. 27th May 2008

| By Toby Walker

Kellie Debono, pictured with husband Ray and children Tyron, 12, and Jordan, 15, wants to help the Coast's elderly residents. Photo: Jason Dougherty/174988a

Kellie Debono knows the value of a simple gesture, an act of kindness that can forge friendships for life.

It was Kellie’s decision to help out an elderly neighbour in her former hometown of Mandurah in Western Australia by cooking the occasional meal and running errands for him that formed such a friendship.

“Even now I’m involved with his family, he knows my family and we’ve spent Christmas together,” she said.

Ten months after moving her young family to Aroona, the mother of two was again motivated to ease the burden of local pensioners after a chance meeting with a blind elderly man at a post office.

Hearing how losing his sight had limited his living options and brought an end to the weekend drives in the hinterland that he and his wife loved so much, Kellie offered to help them.

The man has yet take up her offer, but Kellie remains determined to give something back to the generation that handed Australia so much.

She has proposed an “adopt-a-pensioner” program, where elderly residents can be matched with a family or person willing to give them some company or just help with the daily tasks that are proving too difficult in their advancing years

“I work full-time but I’ve still got the weekends and I finish work at 3.30pm, so if I can’t put myself out for an hour or two, what’s the world coming to?” she said.

“People just get so wrapped up in their busy lives they can’t see past themselves sometimes, and I just think I’ve got to do something.

“I think that a lot of older people are quite proud and not willing to admit they need help, so they suffer in silence.

“A lot of those people fought in wars so I think we owe them something.

“I’d invite them over for tea once a week, involve them in our family life, that sort of thing.

“My daughter said to me: ‘Mum, we could even bake some biscuits and cake and drop them off once a week.’ Or pick up an extra loaf of bread when we go shopping.

“It’s just menial things that don’t have to cost a lot of money but I’m sure are really well appreciated by pensioners.

As soaring fuel and food prices force pensioners to stretch their meagre weekly payout even further, Kellie hopes local families will spare some of their time and follow the example set by local businesses already offering concessions to the elderly.

The Daily is keen to hear from residents and seniors keen to get involved. You can email us at seniors@scnews.com.au

Coast firms rally with offers

* As a plumber I am prepared to offer my services to pensioners, who are in need, to the value of $120 per job for free. I am able to be contacted on 0414 544 483. My company’s name is R.W.Barnes Plumbing and my email address is barnesplumbing@hotmail.com.

* Village Green Fruit and Veg Wholesalers at 12 Bartlett Road, Noosaville will offer a discount of 15% to all pensioners. Orders must be by phone or fax and this discount is only available for pick-up. Please phone 5449 7198 or fax 5449 0770.

* Bettys Diner at 98 Currie Street, Nambour (new diner opening Wednesday), is offering our senior card holders free tea or coffee in our shop during normal trading hours which are 7am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

* Florence Street Automotive, Tyre and Mechanical workshop is offering a 10% discount to senior-card holders, as well as to care workers, single parents and disability-pension holders, and now also plans to give one meat voucher and one fruit-and-vege voucher once a month to a lucky eligible card holder.

* Coastal Physiotherapy on Plaza Parade, Maroochydore (opposite the Sunshine Plaza), offers to seniors, until the end of June, a special discount of 25% off their initial appointment. Instead of $65 they will pay only $48.75 (health-fund rebates are also available when the senior has private insurance).

* IGA Maroochydore offers a 10% discount for pensioners.

* Special offers can be sent to the Daily’s marketing strategists, Belinda Bollen at belinda.bollen@scnews.com.au and Dawn Stubbs at dawn.stubbs@scnews.com.au or general manager Steve Hutton at steve.hutton@scnews.com.au.