Raj Aggerwal was one of three locals recognised for his contributions to the community at the City of Logan Australia Day Awards held on 26 January.
Mr Aggerwal, who runs the Mundoolun Community Centre, a local Neighbourhood Watch and volunteers for the Rural Fire Brigade at Tamborine, was awarded the Spirit of Logan Award.
“I don’t contribute to the community for recognition, but it tells you that people are receiving what you’re doing and we are doing it right,” Mr Aggerwal said.
“I wasn’t expecting to win, because there were incredible people in that room.”
Mr Aggerwal said his dedication to community service began in 2015 when he was diagnosed with cancer, and his neighbours stepped in to help him complete daily tasks.
“They came to my door and said, ‘We’re here to tell you that you’re not mowing your lawns, we’re doing it for you.”
“Incredible people came to my aid, and so I thought, why can’t I extend this to the rest of my community?”
It was then that Mr Aggerwal wrote the constitution for what would become the Mundoolun Community Centre, to build a close-knit community where people feel safe and connected to each other.
“I grew up in a community where you could go to any person’s house and your parents didn’t have to worry about where your children are,” he said. “I want to build a community which lives like this.”
Mundoolun’s Community Centre is celebrating it’s 10 year anniversary this year.
A few years ago the centre began running a program called, called Come Dine with Us served locals $10 all you can eat dinners.
“The only requirement is that you must sit with someone you don’t know, so you get to know them,” Mr Aggerwal said. “And people loved it.
“Where does the best conversation take place in the household? At the dinner table.”
This year, the Come Dine with Us initiative will continue to be held once a month and will cost $7 per person to attend.
“We know the cost of living has gone up,” Mr Aggerwal said. “We understand that, and we know we have to adjust our prices.”
Since 2019, he has volunteered for the Rural Fire Brigade in Birnam and Tamborine, serving on the Management Committee, a role he stepped down from last year.
“I want to live in a community where people are very friendly,” Mr Aggerwal said.
“They talk to each other, they’re nice to each other, and that’s my community.
“So I thought I’m going to work towards that.”
Mr Aggerwal said when he was announced as the Spirit of Logan Award winner, he didn’t hear his name being called.
“My brain went black, and my wife, who was sitting beside me, gave me a nudge,” he said.
“It’s a good achievement; these are big awards.”
