A Community Icon
In January 1999, Faye and Colin Henschke expressed a desire to help Barossa Carers' Link, to raise awareness of the role of carers in the Barossa and raise money for carer needs (Colin provided an initial capital to establish the venture). Their idea was to establish a second-hand clothing shop where the community could not only buy clothes but could also find out information about supports available to carers.
The first clothing shop was officially opened in Tanunda on 19th January 1999 by Margaret Lehmann. Great enthusiasm came from a local team of volunteers and with genuine community support - through donation of goods, meant that Faye and Colin's idea began to grow. By the end of the year, a board of management had been assembled, a constitution had been written, and an incorporated body officially known as Community Helpers Inc. was born on the 3rd of September 1999.
The initial shop proved to be too small, so the shop expanded to the adjoining eastern shop. Donations of furniture and electrical goods began to be accepted so, in 2000, the committee decided to open a furniture shop in a red brick building further to the east. Both stores were managed by Faye.
In approximately 2002, the furniture shop was moved to a larger premises on the corner of First and Murray street in Nuriootpa. Bob Cundy was appointed the volunteer manager of this store. The store proved to very successful and extra storage space was acquired at the warehouse over the railroad - opposite Penfolds in Nuriootpa. Weekend sales began occurring from the warehouse which once again proved quite popular with the public.
Due to the good returns of the furniture stores, the committee in 2005 took the risk of renting a larger warehouse with car parking on Railway Terrace in Nuriootpa. It took several months to shift the stock from the existing stores to the new premises. In 2007, David Penny was appointed as the first paid part-time manager. During this time, the clothing and bric-a-brac store in Tanunda moved across the carpark, with Norma Liersch as manager. We took over the entire premises when the video store closed in approximately 2017.
Sales from the Railway Terrace warehouse boomed. However, whilst the premises were larger, they did not prove to be very volunteer-friendly. The floors were uneven, the roof had leaks and there was limited heating and cooling.
The committee started to look for commercial land to purchase to enable us to build our own purpose-built premises. Land was found at the old Marshall’s salvage yard on Murray Street, Nuriootpa near the Sturt Highway end, and a contract was signed for its purchase. We were successful in winning a State Government ‘Fund your Neighbourhood’ grant of $100,000 and a Federal ‘Building Better Regions’ grant of $300,000. Together, and with a loan from BankSA, it became a reality to build our permanent location.
Designed by JB Architects and built by Juncken Builders, our new building was officially opened in July 2019 by Federal Minister Tony Pasin (who assisted us with our grant submission). Our new premises were thoughtfully designed to be disability-friendly and have been greatly appreciated by both volunteers and the wider community. Special thanks are extended to the committee members and volunteers who dedicated countless hours to bringing the project and relocation to life. Recognition is also due to the Warehouse Manager at the time, Helen Christie, whose efforts played a vital role in ensuring a smooth transition. Since its establishment, the move has been warmly embraced by the Barossa community and has contributed to steadily increasing sales.
Who We Are Today
Today, Community Helpers Inc. continues to raise funds through its Op Shops to support the wider Barossa community. Central to the ongoing success of Community Helpers Inc. is the generous support of the community through the donation and purchase of goods, along with the dedication of the many valued volunteers who generously contribute their time and energy to support fundraising activities.
Community Helpers Inc. is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and has been operating for more than 25 years. Over this time, the organisation has donated more than $3,000,000 back into the Barossa community.
We gratefully accept donations of quality, saleable second-hand goods from the broader community, which are then sold through our Op Shop locations in the Barossa. Funds raised through these sales are returned directly to the Barossa community through donations/grants to charitable organisations, with the majority of funding supporting Carers and Disability Link.
As stated in our Constitution, the primary purpose of the Association is:
“To raise money for the benefit of Carers and Disability Link and such other charitable, philanthropic, or benevolent organisations, societies, or clubs that are established or operate within the Barossa Valley and surrounding areas.”
Through our operations, Community Helpers Inc. also provides assistance to many vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community, including people experiencing homelessness, financial hardship, and domestic violence.
Community Helpers is predominantly volunteer run with over 80+ volunteers and we use Centrelink recipient volunteers. If not for our committed and valued volunteers, we could not exist. Our volunteers benefit from the comradery within the organisation, and this involvement assists with their health and wellbeing.
Nuriootpa Warehouse
- (08) 8562 2786
- 167-169 Murray Street, Nuriootpa SA 5355
- nuriootpa@communityhelpersinc.org.au
- Mon-Fri: 9:00am - 4:00pm
- Sat: 8:30am - 12:30pm