Pambula-based social cafe, Pearls Place is the latest beneficiary after volunteers received an unexpected delivery of food on Wednesday, October 11. Dane Waites gave over five boxes of non-perishable food that had not been used in his Perth to Pambula run to Pearls Place.

Dane’s mum Junee Waites said it was Dane’s idea that as the community had supplied the food in the first place, any extra should be returned to the community.

Junee spoke with The Reaching Out Foundation’s Ross Williams and it was suggested that Pearls Place was a suitable recipient.

“Dane said that he loved the idea,” Junee said. “The idea of sharing reasonates with Dane.”

Pearls Place continues to go from strength to strength averaging well over 40 visitors for lunch at the Wednesday open cafe.

Pearls Place president  May Kerr said that recently they had gone up to 64 one lunch time, a record so far.

“We’re seeing a lot of new people and I think a lot of it is word of mouth. Probably three quarters of our clients are older people who are enjoying the social contact and a chance to chat. The volunteers used to go out and chat to everyone but now we see our visitors chatting between themselves more,” May said.

There’s been a new addition to what Pearls Place offers too after May contacted NSW Health for some help.

Now each week at 11.30am there is a gentle pre-lunch tai chi session which May said is being enjoyed by more and more people. NSW Health helps by covering the tai chi event under their insurance, May explained.

It’s been a good week for Pearls Place because it was also the beneficiary of 5kg of burgers and 5kg of marinated chicken from Dulcie’s who have just started giving their excess food to OzHarvest Sapphire Coast.