You can’t keep a good woman down: Sue Adams, Anglicare Mt Druitt Shop Volunteer

Sue Adams, long term St Marys resident and volunteer, says she does not know where she’d be without the Anglicare shop.

A divorce some years ago left her in a financially difficult position. She was in her 50s with a child still at school. Finding a job was next to impossible, so Sue started volunteering.

“I had been a customer for many years. The saving I made by using Anglicare always made my life more affordable and life goals more attainable. I approached my local Anglicare shop. They heard my story and gave me a position almost immediately,” Sue explains.

“I was a mess trying to rebalance my life when I came to Anglicare. I was divorced, in my 50s, and finding a job was impossible with a school age child. My Manager and the other volunteers buoyed me and lifted my spirits and gave support by just being there.”

For Sue, volunteering gives her an interest outside her personal life and an opportunity to give back to the community.

“I try to put a smile on the faces of my customers, which in turn gives me joy and satisfaction. I feel like I am helping to build a welcoming community at the shop. I talk to people and pass on information that can assist them. It’s not just about helping people buy affordable clothes.

“Volunteering for Anglicare also opens my eyes to the struggles and needs of the many that use the services offered by the organisation,” says Sue.

“My favourite part of working at Anglicare is being able to respect each other and every customer that walks through the door. I try to be helpful and understanding of them, as people as I follow my family motto – ‘there but for the grace of God go I’.

“We can all strive to be better, but it is important to realise that life can often take an unexpected turn. We never know when we’d be the ones needing support. So be respectful and caring of everyone.

“We help where we can at the shop which then supports Anglicare run programs for the community. This is a very uplifting way of giving back in my community. Being unemployed, doesn’t mean I must be isolated. I am in the community and I hope, volunteering with Anglicare for many more years.”

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