Five-year-old boy’s compassion sparks Coast’s helping hand for Townsville

THE GOLD Coast community has rallied around to help families who lost everything in the Townsville floods – and it’s all thanks to a five-year-old boy.

When Cody Jasinski saw a news report that schools in the area needed to close, he asked his mum Jascinda if there was anything that could be done for the children affected.

Ms Jasinski, with children Cody, Felicity Lockwood, 14 and Elleannah Jasinski, 2, decided to donate items including clothes, toys, furniture and electrical appliances before putting out a call for help online. Less than a week later the family’s home and two storage units were filled with donated goods for the flood victims.

“When the news reporter said no schools are open Cody said ‘Mummy, that means they can’t see their friends and they will fall behind’ and he said it made him sad,” she said.

“So we cleaned out the kids’ toy room and have a box of toys that Cody and Elleannah have grown out of.”

The response to Ms Jasinski’s appeal was so overwhelming the family soon ran out of storage space in their home.

Storage King in Helensvale came to the rescue, donating boxes, packing tape and two storage units to house the donations until they are trucked north on Friday. Graeme Cox from trucking company CNQ is donating a truck to transport the load, and members of the Gold Coast Titans will go to Ms Jasinski’s Pimpama home to help load it up. To donate, go to the Small Kids Big Hearts GC to Townsville flood support convoy Facebook page.