The Hope Centre – Warrawong NSW
Rod Squad has had a connection with the Hope Centre at Warrawong NSW through Jeff Dakers and ‘The Preachers’ hot rod club. Jeff participated in our Chapel Services at the last two Street Rod Nationals at the Gold Coast and Newcastle. A couple of our members had the opportunity to visit the Hope Centre and had a tour of the facility. Check them out at www.hopecentre.com.au/
The Hope Centre is a food rescue and training not for profit organisation. The Food Barn is run by the Hope Centre and has been providing affordable and healthy food to the region’s most marginalised people as well as those going through a tough period. The Centre also runs regular training courses for the unemployed and focuses on getting them job ready as well as providing work placements.
Another part of the operation is a programme where 15 volunteers are working together to build a drag car from scratch that will be run at Eastern Creek. Over the 6 months the volunteers will learn mechanics, warehousing as well as soft skills (life skills) training. The project will encourage intergenerational dialogue reducing the divide between the old and young.
The car for this project is a VG Valiant coupe which will use running gear from an FG Falcon XR6 Turbo Police chaser donor car. Mods will include new engine and gearbox mounts and modification to front half of the tunnel, fitting of rack and pinion steering from FG and one piece tail shaft into a nine inch diff. The body will be sand blasted, rust repaired and painted. New upholstery, and bumpers rechromed etc.
Time frame for completion is early 2016.
The Preachers Hot rod club is also an integral part of the Hope Centre, and have had a number of hot rod displays in the car park out front.
