Kilkivan church to Rise & Shine - with your help!

We are asking you to help us save a small country church from unsympathetic development by keeping it in community hands so we can transform it into a desperately needed centre for ageing-in-place.

This fund-raising campaign is not just about saving a historic building; it’s about what that building will do for aged & vulnerable citizens in a regional community.

We are members of a Not-For Profit organization which is rolling out an ageing-in-place project in the districts surrounding the township of Kilkivan, a tiny rural town in South-East Queensland, Australia. The building came through its building & pest inspection in late February so we are now hopeful that it can be the focal point of our Rise & Shine Project. This solid, iconic building lends itself to all sorts of community activities - if we can retain and renovate it.

The property has a special location: it is surrounded by vacant land owned by Gympie Regional Council which in late 2023 designated the two vacant blocks for ageing-in-place use. You can appreciate that the package of the former church & vacant surrounding land is in demand for development ...which may not be well aligned with community sentiments. This strategic property should be a community asset; after all, that was the intent of the original donors of the land and materials, and it is the wish of many current residents.

KDCCAI has entered into a contract to purchase the property for $200,000 so this campaign is for half the total cost. A generous, anonymous community member has offered us a 6-month interest-free loan so we know we will complete the purchase.

If we can raise the necessary funds to retain the building and the land, we can transform this property into a pivotal part of our ageing-in-place project, which is allowing locals to remain in their home territory far longer than would otherwise be possible. KDCCAI provides community transport, coordinates in-home care, delivers social connectivity services, and advocates tirelessly on behalf of seniors (many of whom volunteered here for decades). They must be allowed to remain in their community if that is their wish. Of course, we acknowledge that won't be possible for everyone; however, we have some wonderful senior role models who are still volunteering in their 90s - they are our heroes!

Your donation will help to create an inclusive and supportive base for a generation of people who built the local community and who now need the care and compassion of others. We know it's an ambitious goal but many small donations will see us get there!! Can you help, please?

More Information

The St Kevin’s Church building can continue to give to our rural community. It can live on to provide vital support as a Community Hub as part of our Kilkivan & District Community Care Association Inc (KDCCAI) Rise and Shine Ageing-in-Place Project. If KDCCAI (a registered charity with DGR status) can buy & develop (with the help of grants) the church property, it will be used to provide a gathering place for all ages, especially our treasured seniors such as these local nonagenarians above. KDCCAI hopes to use the property for communal dining, day respite, social gatherings, offices, a base for our ageing-in-place services, etc.

You can find more information about KDCCAI & its Rise & Shine Project by following this link: https://kilkivancare.com.au

St Kevin’s Church is an especially powerful symbol of Kilkivan: the Celtic word Kilkivan literally means Church of Kevin! How cool is that?!

This building has always looked impressive: here it is in 1926!

And on the day last year when our organization decided to try to buy the church, we spotted this kangaroo sheltering from the heatwave under the building ...it's been a sanctuary for many...