The Sunshine Valley Gazette

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Wishlist Coffee House in urgent need of helpers

Wishlist Coffee house nambour volunteers Annette, Cheryl and Aileen

Thanks to the hard work of local volunteers, Wishlist Coffee House has raised over $179,000 to enhance Nambour Hospital over the past three years.

Now, they need your help.

Wishlist is urgently calling for volunteers to help provide staff, patients and families delicious food and coffee at the busy Wishlist Coffee House, located inside Nambour Hospital.

Proceeds from the café allow Wishlist to fund vital medical equipment and upgrades to Nambour Hospital such as a $72,365 Colposcope purchased to help diagnose women’s cancers faster and improve wait times, virtual reality tools to distract young patients in emergency and a Point of Care ultrasound.

Operated by manager Wendy Southam and her team of dedicated volunteers, Wishlist Coffee House provides fresh, healthy food and drinks for staff, patients and visitors of Nambour Hospital.

Ms Southam is calling on locals to consider becoming a regular volunteer, not only to make a real difference in the community, but to make new friends and learn new skills.

“Our volunteers enjoy working here, and it’s a great way to meet new people, make new connections, have a laugh, and utilise your past experience too,” she said.

“They are also very proud to give back to their local hospital – they can see the difference they make every day they come in.”

Ms Southam said experience was not a requirement as training and imparting knowledge was all part of her job.

“We have had many incredible volunteers over the past couple of years, but some do get back into the workforce, take holidays, or in some cases move away, so we need a continuous stream of volunteers to keep us going strong.

“Our volunteers take part in a range of duties - from preparing food and making coffee to serving customers and cleaning up - we value everything they do for us.

“We work hard and have a lot of fun at the same time.”

If you, or someone you know, has a few hours to spare on a weekly or fortnightly basis, phone Wishlist Volunteer Coordinator Mat Walker on 5202 1777, or visit wishlist.org.au and click on the “Become a Volunteer” page for more information.