Meet The Cullen Family

When the Cullen family walks past plastic bottles on the side of the road, they don’t just see rubbish. They see an opportunity. 

Carina and Warren Cullen live in Biloela, Queensland with their five children, and they’ve been members of Biloela Baptist Church for over 20 years. 

People driving by Biloela often pollute the surrounding bushland with discarded containers. So in 2019, when the State Government launched a program providing a 10 cent refund for every container handed in for recycling, Warren came up with an idea. 

‘He thought we could clean up the environment, turn the trash into cash, and use the money to help change lives,’ Carina said.  

The Cullens decided to raise money for Baptist World Aid’s Matching Grant Appeal—where donations to help people around the world in poverty are combined with funding from the Australian Government.  

Being adventurous teenagers, their children filled bags while exploring bike paths and stormwater drains. ‘It was a fun competition to see who could collect the most!’ Carina said. 

Turning Containers Into A Gift To Fight Poverty 

Their efforts paid off: in 2020, the Cullens raised $550 for people experiencing poverty with 5,500 containers. One of Carina’s proudest moments is when her son found a large sum of money on the side of the road and chose to donate it. ‘Our kids were encouraged to focus on others, not just themselves, when they could see their efforts making a difference,’ she said. 

These days, the Cullens collect cans and bottles all year round, with their friends, workmates, and neighbours, and all proceeds go to the Matching Grant Appeal.

We love supporting global Partners and empowering the whole village. . . That’s a pretty amazing thing to contribute towards.

Never Too Young To Make A Difference 

Youth are often dismissed by society, but in God’s kingdom, you’re never too young to make a difference.  

In Brisbane’s Moreton Bay, Allie Litke (pictured above) remembers running her first fundraiser when she was 14. ‘My school leadership group provided us with money to run a fundraiser,’ Allie said. ‘We made pancakes, and put the money towards efforts to rescue children from sexual exploitation and human trafficking.’ 

This ignited a passion for finding creative ways to help others as part of God’s mission. Today, Allie’s an intern at Lifepoint Church, Rothwell and studying primary education. She has gathered support on behalf of her church for several ministries, but her most memorable fundraiser started with just a stack of envelopes.  

Early this year, Lifepoint’s missionary partner in Colombia needed a house to run programs for local teenagers. Allie helped her church raise the money with an Envelope Fundraiser. Creating a wall of envelopes labeled from 1 to 150, people chose one and donated the correlating dollar amount. They raised $15,000 on top of regular giving.  

‘It was wonderful to see people be so generous,’ Allie said.

Actions speak louder than words. You can tell someone Jesus loves you, but when you’re serving them, that can be really powerful. 

Allie’s advice to eager young fundraisers is to get support. Her schoolteachers, pastors, and older friends provided valuable advice over the years. ‘Then just give it a go!’ she said. ‘You may not achieve what you want the first time, but even a small amount makes a difference.’ 

Got a great fundraising idea?

Fundraise your way by partnering with Baptist World Aid and help to create a better world for all. Sign up here: baptistworldaid.org.au/fundraise/

This article was first published in the Better World Magazine—June 2024 Edition.