Better Together in Broken Hill

Salvation Army’s 500+ retail stores, many scattered in far-flung places across Australia, are vital for bringing in funding to support Australia’s most vulnerable people. But they are much more than a fundraising venture, as our Family Store volunteer team in Broken Hill can attest.

Julie Bosley, our Sydney based Volunteer Resources Advisor, makes the long journey west to chat with a close-knit team and uncovers the ways their Family Store is so much more than fundraising.

“Last year, I made 529 dolls dresses” proclaims Dell.

For thirty years, Dell has been volunteering at the Broken Hill Family Store, “…except for four years when I was in Wagga, but I still knitted eight hours a day for the shop.” Dell makes fourteen dresses per week, sewing six days a week using donated dress patterns, fabric, lace and buttons; she only needs to buy the bias and Velcro. Aside from dresses destined for dolls donated to the store or to dress up a child’s favourite doll (some have ended up as far away as South Africa!), Julie also discovers Dell knits baby clothes for premature babies, sending Ronald McDonald House a hundred pieces at a time. Amazing.

Wanting to get an insight into Dell’s impressive dedication, Julie asks Dell what originally inspired her to volunteer at the Salvos and what makes the team work so well.

Before Dell decided to volunteer, she was experiencing a significant time in her life, “…so a lady I knew said come and volunteer at the Salvos”. Dell has been volunteering in the store on Tuesdays, “…that’s why I don’t sew 7 days a week! I’d go mental if I didn’t have it, really would, sitting at home doing nothing all day is just not me”. Dell believes the team sticks together because “we’re all mad!”, but really they are good friends and have loads of fun. She cites one example of a customer who suffers depression, who especially comes in on Tuesdays and says she doesn’t need her medication on that day because the Tuesday volunteer team really helps her connect and have fun.

Julie asks, “What is the one word you would use to describe your volunteering experience?”

Dell gently answers, “Lifesaving”.

Soon the other volunteers chime in with their one word - “friendship” says one; “togetherness” says another; Grant, who has delighted the team with dress-ups in donated costumes of Superman and Chewbacca, says “entertaining”. With many having volunteered for decades, they explain the team’s stability is due to being consistent, feeling valued and appreciated. They are “all there for each other”, says Grant.

Dawn has been the store’s manager, in a volunteer capacity, since 1980. Grant describes her as “…a rock, treats everyone like family”.

As most Salvation Army stores are managed by paid staff, Julie wonders what Dawn thinks about being a volunteer store manager as opposed to being paid. “Being a volunteer manager makes it work better - we are all the same, we are all equal.” With this, Dawn believes their team is demonstrating Christians at work, by also being friendly with the community and visitors to the town: “If we can’t get them church, we can get them to come here”. Julie chimes in with agreeance, “yes, creating faith pathways”. Dawn continues, “The most rewarding part of volunteering is the fellowship, meaningful chats, and being a part of this big family.” 

In concluding her visit, Julie asks Dawn what her one word is to describe her volunteer experience: “Priceless. They are priceless”.

Julie was very heartened to see such a caring and devoted volunteer team working away in one of Australia’s more remote regions, celebrating each other’s contribution every day. National Volunteer Week is a dedicated time to especially acknowledge how priceless volunteering is to The Salvation Army - and to volunteers themselves. We should always keep in mind the theme for this year: #BetterTogether, because nothing sums up the priceless experience of volunteering more than this. At Broken Hill, as in all of our stores, they are enduringly #BetterTogether….. oh and psst… it’s much, much more than fundraising. ​​​​​​​

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Interview by Julie Bosley – Volunteer Resources Advisor NSW/ACT

About the writer: Based in Brisbane, Ciska Burrie has been working with Salvation Army’s Volunteer Resources team for the last 7 years. Prior, she worked in volunteer management with Australian Red Cross and RSPCA Victoria.