About Us
Our History
Goodness Enterprises began life as Harvest Rain Ministries, a Christian charity founded in 1985 by Pastor Jeff Ramsey.
Our Mission Our History Goodness Enterprises began life as Harvest Rain Ministries, a Christian charity founded in 1985 by Pastor Jeff Ramsey. By the late 1980s, Harvest Rain Ministries had expanded its activities to include operating 18 residential crisis accommodation for young women, alcoholics, families and young people. It also provided employment programs for the unemployed and operated a secondhand clothing and furniture depot; an evening coffee van ministry for people on the streets; a counselling centre and an emergency welfare and food distribution centre. In the early 1990’s Pastor Jeff moved to Western Australia and the operations of Harvest Rain reduced to food, clothing and furniture distribution to people in crisis across Ipswich. In the late 1990s, Harvest Rain was joined by the Rivers of Life Christian Church, a church established in Karalee by Pastor Fred Muys. Rivers of Life had a mission to impact the communities of the Bremer and Brisbane Rivers with the life of God and Pastor Fred saw that this required the church to reach out to meet practical needs in the community like entrenched and high unemployment, high levels of disability, low income and low levels of literacy and helping to build a safe community.
In September 2001, Rivers of Life took over the community operations of Harvest Rain, extending the food distribution and second hand clothing operations, as well as establishing community literacy and adult education classes. When Rivers of Life Church and Harvest Rain purchased the former Tivoli Drive In cinema property at Chuwar, Ipswich in 2003 it provided the opportunity for expansion into a range of new community activities. By 2008, Rivers of Life and Harvest Rain had recommenced screening family movies on Saturday nights using the Drive-in facilities, as well as providing community literacy and employment programs and emergency relief and food hamper distribution programs.
Our Team
Our hopes for the future
Building on the platform of our current activities Goodness Enterprises is now expanding to develop a Community Food Hub which will provide food support for more than 120 community groups and agencies assisting 20,000 food vulnerable people across the Ipswich West Moreton region each week;
We’re planning on building a Social Housing Village to provide short term and emergency housing for 20 families;
We’re developing a Koala and native fauna rehabilitation and education facility on our site and building a Civil Emergency Disaster Relief Centre to service Ipswich’s growing north western corridor, which will not only provide a safe haven in times of major crisis but will be much needed community Youth Recreation Centre and Life Skills Training facility in less stressful times.
