Many years of service to his local community has seen an Adventist man recognized in the 2019 Australia Day honors.
Robert (Bob) Kalaf was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of his services to the Cooranbong (northern NSW) community, including building the Waratah Medical Center, and helping to establish the Cooranbong shopping village and Morisset industrial estate. He was president of the Cooranbong Chamber of Commerce from 1990 to 2006 and also volunteered as a swim squad coach at Avondale School for 11 years.
A member of Avondale Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church, Kalaf plans to start divesting himself of business entities so that he can devote his attention to his family and to his involvement as a project manager for Eyes for India, a charitable organization that has restored the eyesight of 6000 blind people in India in 10 years.
“It’s certainly an honor and a privilege to have been awarded this medal,” said Kalaf, who will receive the OAM at an official presentation at Government House.
“But it’s really God who deserves the glory. My desire is to help my community as Christ has instructed us. I want to work for God and do His services. I hope others will be motivated to contribute to their community too.”