This year has been tough, brutal even, but in many cases the adversity faced by the people of Shepparton galvanised the community.
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Many stepped up to do their part to support those in need.
Here is a review of some of the most iconic community stories from this year to warm the cockles of your heart.
School kids doing charity
Two girls raise money selling Christmas cards
Shepparton sisters Maddison and Ellie Robinson sold Christmas cards, bon bons, gift tags and stickers to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital, where their aunty was treated for cancer as a child.
Gowrie Street Primary gives back
The graduating junior school council at Gowrie St Primary School has raised $200 for local charity worker Azem Elmaz by selling icy poles.
The Gowrie St children raised the money to say thank you to Mr Elmaz for supporting the community during the August lockdown that saw a third of Shepparton residents in isolation; presenting the cheque to Mr Elmaz on December 13.
The students sold icy poles for 50c every Friday for five weeks, selling a total of 400, to other students at the school.
Aged care welcomes back visitors
Aged care home Mercy Place Shepparton welcomed back volunteers with a celebratory afternoon tea on Friday, November 26.
The residents had been isolated for a lonely 18 months and were overjoyed once the volunteers were allowed back.
Many of the enriching activities they used to do are still impossible and they’re especially looking forward to the resumption of the visits from the kindergarten children, with whom they love to spend time.
Then Mercy Place held Christmas lunch on December 8 for the families of residents to visit and celebrate the festive season with their loved ones.
They still miss the hungry greyhound Max, who was banned from visiting because the residents used to sneak him too many biscuits, some even saving some of their afternoon tea for him.
Community calls for astronomy club
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Aziz Bhatti’s son and daughter came across an astronomy book at the local library that left them “itching to know more about star gazing”.
So he bought them a telescope.
Now, Mr Bhatti and his son Hamza, 9, and daughter Taqweer, 8, are calling for the opening of an astronomy club in Shepparton.
The family has contacted City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Kim O’Keeffe and Astronomical Society Victoria about the project.
And it seems there is community support for the idea in the Shepparton area, with plenty of astronomically-inclined people excited to see the emergence of an astronomy club.
Cr O’Keeffe has responded positively to the idea; she has corresponded with Mr Bhatti extensively via email and intends to meet with the family to discuss opening a club.
In the meantime, Mr Bhatti and his children have met with Michael Goodwin and his wife, both of whom are members of ASV.
Cr O’Keeffe’s husband, Brendan — also an avid astronomer who owns his own telescope — attended as well.
Galahs gone for a gander
Two pet galahs, Charlie and Dusty Boy, that live across the road from each other went missing from their Shepparton homes on Sheehan Crescent.
Wandering galah Charlie was found 10 days later at McGuire College, Shepparton.
“He must have thought he needed an education or something,” Charlie’s owner Sharna Locke said.
Ms Locke even rescued someone else's pet galah named Echo while searching for Charlie.
Echo was returned safely to his owner.
Unfortunately, Dusty Boy is still at large and is yet to be found by his owner Molly.
Azem Elmaz: Heart of gold
Azem and Jeiham Elmaz stepped up during a time of crisis, offering free meals to anyone struggling to feed either themselves or their families during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a third of Shepparton was in isolation.
Lutfiye's Shish Kebab provided free meals and food supplies for those in isolation or in need within the community.
Goods were donated from a combination of resources, including FoodShare, local schools and students, and the community.
Mr Elmaz offers free meals to those in need, no questions asked, except for how many to feed.
The Elmaz family has been helping those doing it tough in Shepparton for 31 years.
“We didn’t open the shop as a business, we opened it to help the community,” Mr Elmaz said.
Mr Elmaz also provides relief for the homeless, even building a shower and toilet facility for anyone to use for free.
Jimmy Fowl joins the chooks
A Murchison chicken flock has a somewhat unusual addition after three Murchison boys put a clutch of guinea fowl eggs under one of their chickens and one of them hatched.
The Rose boys — Milo, Errol and Hektor — found the guinea fowl eggs under a tree on their property and stuck the eggs under a chook, with one hatching.
The new addition to the family’s chicken flock, which the children have nicknamed ‘Jimmy Fowl’, hatched under Milo’s chook Brian, and she has raised Jimmy Fowl as one of her own.
“One day I came over to check if it had hatched and I thought ‘What’s that small grey thing? It’s a baby guinea fowl’,” Milo, 6, said.
The Hairy Fellas
Residents of Lifestyle Shepparton Community on Channel Rd, Shepparton, raised $8400 to fight prostate cancer by shaving off their hair.
Gavan Pritchett and Ron Jones handed over a cheque of $8400 to prostate cancer specialist nurse Sonia Strachan.
The hairy fellas have raised over $50,000 for the treatment of local men suffering from prostate cancer since 2014.