She may be in her nineties, but Thelma Olding is unstoppable when it comes to serving up soup and holding a bake sale.
The 91-year-old is a member of the Go-betweens – a group of women at a retirement village in the Brisbane suburb of Chermside who whip up meals for residents to raise funds for local causes. And recently the soup drive has been a huge hit, according to co-founder Helen Tracey, 74.
“Thelma is dynamic! There’s no stopping her,” said the retired teacher who lives with the other Go-betweens at Wheller on the Park village. “We’ve been dishing up 160 soups every fortnight, that’s about 10 great big pots. The pea and ham is really popular.”
Money raised from the soup sales will go towards Wheller on the Park’s emergency relief fund to help the homeless in the area.
The group started eight years ago when Helen and another resident started chatting over a cuppa. “We lived on two sides of a fence and felt the different parts of the village needed to be connected while doing something for the community,” Helen said.
They named themselves the Go-betweens because they go between each other’s houses, cooking and fundraising. “We have around 400 residents here and it’s difficult to get to know everyone,” Helen said. “But doing this we get to know people’s names.”
The group recently raised $500 from a breakfast drive, which went to Welsey Mission Queensland’s Hyland House day respite centre. “They were so grateful,” said Helen, describing it as a triple reward. “You feel so chuffed you’re able to help, and it keeps us on our feet.”
Geraldine Cardozo
Features Editor at The Senior.
Features Editor at The Senior.
