THE Lifeline Shop in Gordon Street celebrated 25 years of service to the local community last month.
Staff celebrated with a party in the shop after hours last Friday night. The night was special for one person in particular, Annie Wardle, who has been a volunteer at the shop since it first opened.
Annie moved to Australia from Vancouver, Canada, when she married an Australian from Victoria. They lived in Victoria for a while and then made the move to Port Macquarie in 1984. She started volunteering for Lifeline in 1989 and has worked in the same shop ever since.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time working in the Gordon Street shop and I’ve met lots of people and made so many great friends,” Annie said.
Planning for a Lifeline service on the Mid Coast of NSW began in 1988. The Reverend Rex Graham commenced the work as a development officer charged with the responsibility of getting a Lifeline centre up and running. Working with a steering committee and later with a board of management, Rex thoroughly researched and directed the establishment of a telephone room in Port Macquarie.
On 17 October 1988, Lifeline Mid North Coast was born when a newly trained team of telephone counsellors began to take calls.
Rex Graham initiated the establishment of shops, the first of which was to be opened in Port Macquarie on 27 February 1989. Over the years, as part of the Port Macquarie community, with the support of volunteers, customers and donators, the shop has become a hub for both shoppers and social enterprise.
Marketing officer Lisa Willows is proud of the success and community support the shop has received in its 25 years of operation.“This benefits both our local community and Australian people who are in crisis,” Lisa said.
“Most people do not realise that Lifeline is a self-sufficient service, with all proceeds of goods sold through the shops being utilised to provide the suicide and telephone crisis support services.”
Business manager Kurt Russell thanked the local community for the continued support of the Lifeline shops.
