Catalyst for Kindness
I love it when my words become a catalyst for kindness; when my choice to spotlight homelessness inspires people to do something to help.
Today I drove to Coopernook to collect a green bag packed with food and personal care items, generously gifted by young woman, Aimee Wilson, who read my story for the Manning River Times about a 56-year-old homeless woman.
If you haven’t read the story, I urge you to do so, it is a shocking insight into the life of a Manning Valley homeless woman, and the events that led to her sleeping in a car, couch surfing, and then creating a home from kerbside rubbish on a rural property with no running water or power.
Elysia* reveals her intimate experience of homelessness in the Manning Valley, and hopes it will increase community awareness and empathy for people living in vulnerable situations. Brian is her pet goat, a former "feral, uncontrollable and unwanted animal who just needed time and the right person to bring him round." Photo | Ainslee Dennis.
Aimee read the story, felt moved to take action and messaged me to say that she would have a bag of items for me to collect from her today during her volunteer shift at Coopernook Pop Up Op Shop. The green bag is her donation, and it was also topped up with personal care items given to volunteers for the Orange Sky donations drive.
I am delighted to share that Elysia brought her laundry to the Orange Sky shift on Friday at Manning Uniting Church in Taree. I am the Taree team leader, had shared details of the service with her, and urged her to use it. It was wonderful to see her at the shift that operates between 10am and noon.
Elysia sat under the shade of a tree with other friends who use the service, talked, enjoyed a cuppa and was able to gather up bread and fresh vegetables from the donation table in the church. She shared at the end of the shift that “it was such a lovely and relaxed few hours, and I now have clean clothes!”
Coopernook Pop Up Shop co-ordinator, Elaine Windred, with the tub that is placed at the shop entrance for people to leave personal care item donations for Orange Sky. Photo | Ainslee Dennis.
Please contact me if you would like to help Elysia, or to donate personal care items to Orange Sky for other homeless and vulnerable men, women and families on the Mid North Coast.
Love, pray and do,
