Community and camaraderie found at St Joseph’s Workshop

In a factory at West Gosford, the air reverberates with the sounds of circular saws, power sanders and drills as volunteers build furniture for charity at St Joseph’s Workshop.

The bustling workshop has been an integral asset to the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW since its foundation in 1992. Developed as one of the Society’s Community Inclusion programs, workshop volunteers are provided with opportunities to produce new furniture made from recycled or donated building materials. The finished pieces are distributed through the Society to give a practical hand up to people who are experiencing hardship.

David Murphy, Vinnies Regional Manager, says that “this came about because, although we get lovely donations from the community for furniture and stuff, we didn’t have enough. So we ended up finding recycled timber, and we had some tradesman who were skilled, and trade ladies, and they just started making the furniture. So yeah, we’ve got this Australian-made, high quality furniture that we’re able to produce on mass to fill that need and help people”.

The hard work of the volunteers is what makes the magic happen at St Joseph’s Workshop, but many of those who donate their time receive more than a sense of doing good for the community. Kevin O’Donnell, one of the dedicated volunteers, says “we’re getting 12, 13, sometimes 15 guys in on a day to manufacture all these goods for welfare… they get the camaraderieship of working with other guys, and using their skills”.

A large portion of the volunteers are people over 55. Kevin says that he’s seen volunteers come from a wide range of careers such as airline pilots, doctors or pharmacists, and how they’ve come to the workshop to be productive with their spare time or to address loneliness after retirement. At the factory they’re able to use a large tea room for gatherings or to have a good chat outside of the noisy workshop space.

No qualifications or experience is required from volunteers at St Joseph’s Workshop, so anyone can arrive to be trained in making items such as chests of drawers, garment racks, tables and chairs. Mary, who started out volunteering in the workshop and now works in the office, says that “we put a bit of colour into the furniture now… the stock that goes through here is just amazing, and people aren’t aware of it, you know? I wasn’t aware of it until I joined and I thought, oh I want to give back to society. And I tried it and I just haven’t looked back, 10 years later.”

Community Inclusion is an important focus in the work of St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, with various programs and services currently in operation throughout the state. Funding these programs assists people who are experiencing social exclusion to find a safe space for participation, access, and inclusion in the community.

Learn more about St Joseph's Workshop and get involved at: stjosephworkshop@vinnies.org.au