White Pages Covers Program

Charleville residents Brian and Nerida Egan to appear on 2010/11 Roma Yellow Pages® and White Pages® cover

February 19, 2010

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Each year, locals are featured on the covers of the Yellow Pages® and White Pages® directories in recognition of the contributions they make to their communities. Under the theme Courageous Australians, this year directories producer, Sensis, is recognising courageous people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to overcome adversity and help others in their time of need.

After receiving nominations from community members for the annual honour, Charleville residents, Brian and Nerida Egan have been selected to appear on the cover of this year’s Roma directory which is distributed to Roma, Dalby, Charleville, Miles Districts and surrounding areas.

In 2002, after losing their farm, Brian and Nerida established Aussie Helpers, an organisation dedicated to help fight farm poverty and lift the spirits of those severely affected by drought. Brian’s own battle with depression has helped him relate to farmers doing it tough, both physically and mentally.

Aussie Helpers was started with just $20 and now receives millions of dollars worth of donations each year. Brian and Nerida have helped over 2,000 Australian farmers, ensuring they are equipped with the goods and services required to keep their properties operational, an ongoing challenge for most farmers they meet.

“After experiencing the devastation of losing our farm Nerida and I wanted to provide support to other Australians in the same situation we were in. To us Aussie Helpers isn’t a job, it’s a passion,” said Brian.

Brian travels up to 3,000km a week providing support to farms all over Australia, and both he and Nerida have received several citizen awards for their work, including Brian’s 2008 award for Queensland’s Senior Australian of the Year.

Distribution of Roma Yellow Pages® and White Pages® is planned to start on 20 February 2010 and it will take approximately six weeks for the directories to be delivered to all households.

Sensis encourages residents and businesses to recycle their old directories. In most areas, Yellow Pages® and White Pages® can be recycled as part of normal kerbside recycling services. Visit www.recyclingnearyou.com.au  to find out about recycling services in your area.

Did you know? The past three local people who appeared on the Roma Yellow Pages® and White Pages® cover were:

• 2009/10: Roma resident Susan Klein featured on the Yellow Pages® and White Pages® cover under the theme ‘Creative Australians: Inspiring our Communities’. Susan was selected for writing the program ‘Art for Relaxation’ for abused women, using art to help build their self confidence and socialisation skills.
• 2008/09: Jock and Mina Douglas from Roma were selected as the cover heroes for the ‘Celebrating Australian Flavour’ theme, recognised as pioneers of the desert lime industry where they have also incorporated the fruit into a number of food products which are now distributed internationally.
• 2007/08: Roma resident Loie Wilson graced the Yellow Pages® and White Pages® cover under the ‘Champions of our Community’ theme for her contribution to the Charleville Animal Rescue and Release, caring for injured and orphaned native animals.