Each month, the campaign seeks out the selfless souls who quietly make life brighter - whether it’s checking on neighbours, rescuing lost dogs, or simply being the glue that holds the community together.
The inaugural nominations were overflowing with heart - Debbie Batik, volunteer at Jackson Road Community Centre who organises weekly Young At Heart outings; Lamb Island locals Alison Stevens, Nanette Fraser, and Anne Smith; plus Kim Ward and Kerry Collins. Each was nominated for their tireless generosity and unwavering community spirit.
Every nominee shines, but this month’s Golden Anchor Award honours Bay Islands Kindness, the newly incorporated group quietly transforming the islands. Natalie Lutter, the group’s driving force, has spent nearly six years nurturing a network of support. What began as simple acts of neighbourly kindness has grown into a full service community hub - the Kindness Cottage.
A recent addition to the group’s offerings comes courtesy of a mystery man known only as Aubrey, a Northern Territory local whose house at 17 Wake Street, Macleay Island had sat vacant for 20 years. Thanks to a friendly tip from his lawn mower man, Aubrey agreed to let Bay Islands Kindness use the property as a hub for storage and distribution. Now, the cottage buzzes with life, holding everything from wheelchairs to prams, baby packs, and linen, quietly enabling the group to expand its reach and touch even more lives across the islands.
“There’s no I in team,” Natalie says.
“We couldn’t do what we do without the community pitching in, from donating time and resources, to helping run day to day operations.”
A key part of the heartbeat of the group is Nurse Summer Freeman and her mum, Robyn, who have their finger on the pulse of the community. Summer identifies what people need, and together they ensure those needs are met with care and compassion.
Whether it’s start again kits for families, a communal washing machine, or Christmas gifts, Bay Islands Kindness shows how generosity spreads when a community rallies together. Volunteers and supporters, including Night Ninjas, Redlands Gateway Baptist Church, Bay Islands Transport, Eve from MI Moon Deliveries, and MP Rebecca Young, keep it all running. As Natalie says, tears of joy and gratitude aren’t uncommon.
“We’ll make the $100 voucher go the distance, but honestly, the real gift is seeing the community rally behind each other.”
To nominate a local hero, or to join the movement as a sponsor like LJ Hooker Bay Islands and Property Centre SMBI, email cindy@silentriotcollective.com.au
Kindness, it seems, is absolutely contagious here.
