HEAVEN SENT!
Sue has created a haven for those in need
Sue Tasker stands in the middle of the room and takes in the scene. There’s a young family playing cards at a table, an elderly couple enjoying a cup of coffee with their lunch and a young man doing his washing.
But this isn’t a room in her home – it’s a former bus shelter in the centre of Bundaberg. Thanks to Sue, 57, and her charity Angels Community Group, the previously derelict building has been turned into a community support centre.
“We wanted to create a space where people could come and feel like they were walking into their lounge room at home,” Sue tells Woman’s Day.
“There’s a sofa, books and magazines, board games, tea and coffee machines, and food. It took many hours of cleaning, painting and scrubbing to get it to look like this.”
Sue first started her charity and social enterprise work in 2015 after being made redundant from her job of 20 years and her niece dying unexpectedly. “I wanted to give people some purpose in their lives,” she explains.
DOING IT TOUGH
In order to fund her charity work, Sue set up a social enterprise clothing store, Second 2 None, for pre-loved items. The shop was a success, but it highlighted how many people in Bundaberg were doing it tough.
“People would come in and ask if we had any food,” says Sue. “So we started the ‘bread cupboard’, where people could come in and get a free loaf of bread.”
With the help of her daughter Jasmine, 30, Sue’s social enterprise work has grown. She opened Angels Mini Mart, which offers low-cost and free groceries to those who need it. The Mini Mart, the cafe attached to it and Second 2 None employ people through training schemes who are looking for help to enter employment.
The profits help fund free school lunches for around 220 children a week and
80 to 100 emergency food hampers for locals every week. They give Christmas gifts to 500 children each year and back-to-school packs each January.
It’s a vital service that more Australians need. “There’s a new face of homelessness – and it doesn’t discriminate,” she says. “Whether that’s elderly people or families sleeping in cars, everyone needs somewhere they can go that’s quiet and safe.”
Their next project is to find a place where families can shelter together for the night. “When times are tough, families just need to be together,” says Sue.
Angels Community Group relies purely on donations. To make a tax-deductible donation, visit the website angelscommunitygroup.com