by Janine Hill

PASTOR Dale Dowler sometimes finds it hard to believe it The Shack community centre has been around for 21 years. And sometimes not.

“There’s been times when we’ve been at risk of closing down and of course the wonderful community kept us afloat,” Pastor Dowler said.

“There have been times when I’ve thought, ‘Where did those 21 years go?’ and I look in the mirror and that soon tells me – you can put that in.”

It was Pastor Dowler who identified a need for a drop-in centre in Nambour to help the homeless and disadvantaged youths.

“I was up at the Nambour Assembly of God church doing some pastoring up there and getting up at different hours of the night and would often go down town and talk to people, just casually,” he said.

“I went back to our senior pastor and said, ‘This is what I need, this is what I’d like to do.’ 

“A small number of our church congregation members and some other people funded it and some young people we had met helped clean it up,” he said. 

The Shack was initially in Howard Street but later relocated to the old Nambour squash club premises on Price Street where it remains.

People who had benefitted from The Shack’s services were among those who spoke at a celebration on 3 June which Pastor Dowler described as a celebration of the community which has supported The Shack for 21 years.

“We’re now looking forward to our 25 years,” he said. “I’m getting a bit long in the tooth. Next year will be my 60th birthday and we’re talking about what we’re going to do in the next four to five years. 

“We aren’t slowing down. The needs aren’t slowing down. Our community isn’t slowing down. It’s wonderful.”