Meet 5 local 'Legends' helping make Logan stronger
Logan is shaped by people who show up, speak up and care deeply about their community.
These 5 locals contribute to a stronger, kinder city in different ways, through family support, dementia care, innovation, small business and everyday generosity.
Their stories are being shared following the conclusion of Logan Legends, a Logan City Council initiative that celebrated unsung locals who live, work or volunteer to make the city stronger.
Kirsty Petersen: Advocacy at the heart of Logan
For Logan resident Kirsty Petersen, supporting the Logan community isn’t a job, it’s a value she lives by.
She is the Service Manager at the UnitingCare Family Relationship Centre and Children’s Contact Centre in Logan Central.
As part of her role Kirsty works alongside families navigating relationship breakdowns, parenting challenges and domestic and family violence, meeting people at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
Those who work with her say her leadership is grounded in strong feminist and social justice values, paired with an unwavering belief that everyone deserves support, dignity and access to information.
‘Kirsty has an incredible ability to advocate without judgement,’ says colleague Carly Bain. ‘She makes people feel safe, heard and empowered.’
Carly says Kirsty plays a key role in ensuring UnitingCare has a visible, trusted presence across Logan, regularly collaborating with organisations such as Youth and Family Service and Settlement Services International to reach families unfamiliar with Australia’s family law system.
Kirsty also hosts a community-focused International Women’s Day event each year, creating space for connection, learning and shared strength.
Deeply committed to reconciliation and Indigenous rights, Kirsty ensures the centre participates in Logan’s monthly Elders Morning Tea, while also advocating more broadly as an active community member.
Outside her role, and before she joined Uniting Care, Kirsty volunteered as a mediator with LawRight, an independent, non-profit community legal centre that improves justice for disadvantaged people.
She also throws herself into environmental and community initiatives, as well as running a private business delivering parenting and co‑parenting education.
‘Kirsty continues to volunteer her time at events like the Beenleigh Community Garden, Clean Up Australia Days. I am proud to have her as a boss,’ Carly says.
Through consistent advocacy, leadership and presence, Kirsty helps make that care visible every day.
Daniela Russo: A quiet light for Logan’s dementia community
Each day Holmview local Daniela Russo walks alongside Logan families living with dementia, not as a diagnosis, but as a deeply human journey.
Daniela works as a gerontology professional, respite care manager and volunteer with the Logan Dementia Alliance, offering calm guidance through complex emotional territory.
She knows carers often feel invisible. ‘So many families are doing incredibly hard things behind closed doors,’ Daniela says. ‘They’re grieving, they’re exhausted and they rarely ask for help.’ That understanding shapes everything she does.
Through her role at Your Lifestyle Centre in Beenleigh, a non-profit community hub and senior citizens centre, Daniela helps translate clinical language into practical, compassionate support.
Her monthly dementia cafe at the centre has become a vital space where carers can learn, share stories and feel understood without fear of judgement. For many, it’s the first time they realise they’re not alone.
Daniela believes education should be local, accessible and culturally sensitive. ‘Support needs to meet people where they are,’ she says, ‘because dementia doesn’t just affect one person, it changes the whole family.’
Her impact isn’t loud or public facing, instead it lives in moments of reassurance, shared cups of coffee and the quiet relief of being seen. In a community built on care, Daniela strengthens Logan one family at a time.
Danial Artani: Connecting Logan through innovation
When Danial Artani settled in Logan 8 years ago, he saw more than a place to live – he saw possibility.
With a background in IT and a strong sense of social responsibility, Danial began looking for ways to use technology to help the Logan community.
The result was TapSpot, an app that helps people locate public water taps, shaded spots and BBQs across Logan’s shared spaces.
‘Accessible public spaces help people connect,’ Danial explains. ‘Sometimes it’s the small things that make a city feel more welcoming.’
TapSpot has since mapped more than 1,000 locations, relying on locals to physically verify new sites. For Danial, that collaboration is the point. ‘It’s not just an app,’ he says. ‘It’s something the community builds together.’
Beyond technology, Danial volunteers with the Pakistan Australia Cultural Association, helping deliver events that celebrate diversity and strengthen cultural understanding across Logan.
What sets Danial apart is his quiet leadership. He doesn’t wait for permission to improve his city; he builds tools that empower others to do the same. Through innovation grounded in inclusion, he’s helping shape a Logan that works better for everyone.
Sam Rizk: Putting heart into Loganlea
Logan local Sam Rizk is known less as a store owner and more as a familiar face who always has time for people.
For Sam, business has never been just about transactions, it’s about trust.
‘As the heart behind IGA Local Grocer Loganlea, Sam is more than just a business owner – he’s a genuine community leader,’ says IGA staff member Kirsty Duffin.
Kirsty says Sam leads with kindness, generosity and integrity, and it shows in everything he does.
‘Just ask the customers, they’ll tell you how he always puts people first, whether it’s helping someone out in a tough spot, supporting local families, or donating to community causes,’ she says.
‘When the power goes out in the area, Sam doesn’t hesitate to open up fridge and freezer space to help people save their food, because that’s just who he is.
‘He doesn’t just run a store; he supports a community. Loganlea is lucky to have him, and so are all of us who get to work alongside him.’
What makes Sam a Logan Legend isn’t one big moment, but hundreds of small ones. Through consistent, practical kindness, he’s turned a grocery store into a community lifeline.
Monique Stephens: Where flowers and kindness meet
At Honey Button House in Jimboomba, Monique Stephens creates more than floral arrangements, she creates moments of connection.
Inspired by Logan’s diversity and generosity, Monique believes small gestures can carry enormous meaning.
‘Flowers don’t have to be extravagant,’ she says. ‘They just have to be thoughtful.’
That philosophy guides her work, from pay‑it‑forward bouquets to donated flowers for aged care residents and spontaneous acts of kindness for strangers.
‘Logan has this beautiful mix of people with different backgrounds and different stories and there’s a really strong sense of heart here. People show up for each other,’ Monique says.
‘I see it every day in small, quiet ways and that inspires me. Flowers are such a simple thing, but they have the power to shift someone’s whole day and, in a community like Logan, those small moments really matter.’
Monique also hosts workshops that build confidence and creativity, mentors other makers and collaborates with local businesses rather than competing with them.
Balancing long hours with family life, Monique still remembers customers’ stories, children’s names and favourite blooms. ‘People want to feel seen,’ she says. ‘If I can do that through my work, I’m doing something right.’
Through celebration and loss alike, Monique helps Logan mark life’s moments with care.
Read about more local Logan Legends:
‘Logan Legend’ leads with kindness and compassion
‘Logan Legend’ recognised for furniture program to inspire youth