You tend to think of construction guys as big, hard working men with a gruff exterior and a roughness around the edges. It’s a persona that has been developed over the years, but it may not be one that is entirely accurate. After all, the men and women who work in the construction industry work hard to ensure that everything they touch turns into quality work that is safe for everyone who will use it in the future. That suggests a kind heart, but there are also some personal acts of kindness that help sweep away those preconceived notions of the construction industry.

One particularly great story recently took place in Eudlo in the Sunshine Coast region, where the foreman of a construction company decided to help out a group of Buddhist nuns. Blase Townsing, a former Brisbane resident, moved to the Sunshine Coast just three years ago, but it’s obvious that the kind nature of the residents there very quickly rubbed off on him. Townsing has been a practicing Buddhist for a number of years, and when he moved to his new home, he wanted to find a place where he could further explore his spirituality. He found that at the Chenrezig Buddhist Institute, where he has spent a lot of time volunteering in a number of different areas.

He learned that the members of the institute were looking for concrete contractors who could create a nice concrete path from the nun’s residence to the new laundry room. Townsing knew that this was an area that he was skilled in, so he rounded up 5 other volunteers, all of whom agreed to give freely of their time to ensure that the job was done just right. This is very much a work in progress, though, as there is a lot that has to be done to complete the project.

Many of the nuns who live at the institute are getting up there in years, and a few even use wheelchairs to get around. Rather than just having to create a simple path, Townsing and his volunteers will also be creating wheelchair and pram ramps in a number of important access points. It’s a daunting job, but a number of local concrete contractors have offered their help, and the hope is that the whole project will be completed in a couple of months. The joy and happiness that is all around at the institute is infectious, and the people who have so kindly given of their time can’t help but work with a smile on their faces when they work on the project on weekends.

It would appear that Mr. Townsing and all the kind people who have helped, and who will be helping, create this wonderful project may well have destroyed the image of the humble construction worker. It has to be said that we like this new image a whole lot better.