"To everybody, thank you."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After five years as a pillar of the Mudgee region, the team at We Care Community Shop celebrated the milestone birthday on June 1.
For five years, We Care Community Shop has been a place of support for locals who could call upon the team in a time of need and be met with kindness and understanding.
From putting $500,000 back into the community by way of support programs, to delivering 5,000 food hampers across the community, to supporting seniors and ensuring 640 local kids had presents under the Christmas tree, there's no corner of the region We Care has left without support.
"This is the best charity shop in NSW. Donna [Collins] and her staff show us all up with their dedication to our community," a social media user posted to the We Care Community Shop Facebook group.
On a day of celebration for the store, We Care Community Shop's manager Donna Collins thanked locals for their unwavered support.
"Without the community and my volunteers, there is no shop," she said.
"The amount of people coming in to buy and offer support and donate has probably tripled since day one.
"The following Christmas after our Food for Farmers program, we had all of our wonderful farmers coming in paying it forward with gifts or food vouchers. It was a really humbling experience. They're just the most amazing, resilient people."
It hasn't always been smooth sailing for the We Care team who weathered a potential store closure in September 2021 brought on by a second wave of COVID lockdowns.
"When the shop had a financial issue, the community had our backs and supported us. That was the most amazing experience," Ms Collins said.
"I remember sitting at home crying thinking the shop is going to close; the community was there. It was like the community was paying back to us for our work. It was amazing to know the community supported us."
To be celebrating five years of commitment to the local community is something Ms Collins is humbled by, and said she looks forward to building on for at least another year.
"I'm really proud of what we've achieved over those five years, I couldn't be happier with what we've done," she said.
"We've just signed another year lease so we'll be here next year."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
