Carinity employees are embracing a new Indigenous-themed polo shirt as part of their work uniform.
The unique design for the staff shirt was created by talented Logan-based First Nations artist Stevie O'Chin, a past student of Carinity Education Southside in Brisbane.
Since graduating from the school in 2016, Stevie has exhibited at Birrunga Gallery in Brisbane City, which specialises in art by Indigenous Australian creatives, and sold artwork to collectors around Australia and overseas.
Stevie says her design for the unisex Carinity Indigenous-themed polo shirt incorporates themes such as community, human connection, and God's love.
"Circles and lines represent the many services that interconnect through Carinity's core values of creating communities where people are loved, accepted, and supported to reach their full potential," Stevie said.
"The yellow dots and connecting lines depict the attributes of God's love that characterise His compassion, patience, protectiveness, sacrificing, kindness, understanding, forgiveness, and gentleness.
"The lines between the interconnected services represent Carinity staff bridging the divide in all services through their respect, care, and support."
Speaking during NAIDOC Week, Carinity's Marketing and Communications Manager, Brett Maunder, said the organisation is "delighted to pay tribute to and honour First Nations people and Indigenous Australian culture".
He said the Indigenous polo shirts were devised with the support and input of First Nations people who work for Carinity.
"As well as numerous staff members around Queensland who identify as Indigenous Australians, many service users and students who attend Carinity Education schools are from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds," Brett said.
"This includes our young people at Carinity Education Shalom in Townsville, of which 92% are Indigenous Australians. At other Carinity Education schools the percentage of First Nations students sits between 19% and 40%"
Brett said the new unisex polo has been a popular addition to the Carinity uniform catalogue.
"The polo has been so popular that a second order has just been placed to fill a number of back orders and cater to ongoing demand," Brett said.
