Two former Able Australia staff are filling the void left for seniors in west Logan by starting their own organisation.
Cuppa Plus Inc. has officially found a home in the Caddies Building, solidifying its presence in the region as it prepares to roll out vital support services.
Founded by Rachelle Williams and Julie Ulbrich, the organisation is determined to make a lasting impact by helping those in need.
“I specialised in finance and emergency relief, and Rachelle’s passion is running programs,” Mrs Ulbrich said.
“So when we heard that Able was closing down, Rachelle came up with the idea that she wanted to continue her programs with her seniors.
We just put our heads together and decided, okay, this is what we’ll do. We’ll combine our passions.”
The name Cuppa Plus comes from a late-night vision Ms Williams had early last year.
“All the programs I ran at Able had one constant theme, and that’s a cup of tea or coffee,” she said.
“When you think about a cuppa, it’s all about socialising. Sitting together in conversation.
And so, no matter what activity, all of them will involve a cup of tea.”
Ms Williams and Mrs Ulbrich knew that their understanding of the needs of the community would make a significant difference.
“We knew instinctively because we’ve worked with these people for many years that the impact was going to be huge,” Ms Williams said.
“We wanted to alleviate that or make it less stressful long term for our clients. Without Able here, we knew a lot of them would just fall into the background.”
The focus for Cuppa Plus is on combating social isolation, especially for those who need it most.
“As you get older, your kids grow up, they move away,” Mrs Ulbrich said.
“If your partner passes away, you’re left alone and for a healthy mental state of mind, you need to stay connected to other people.”
A key program that Cuppa Plus will soon roll out is Staying Connected, which provides a lifeline through regular phone calls from volunteers.
“It’s not necessarily just about seniors, it’s for other members of the community too,” Ms Williams said.
“Having a friendly person ring up once a week and just chat for 10-15 minutes could become a lifeline for many.”
The organisation’s Emergency Relief program, which has been running since early January, is designed to offer both immediate aid and resources for food shopping and fuel.
“We have had over fifty people a day come and access the vouchers, and you can immediately see a change in their demeanour because it increases their dignity,” Mrs Williams said.
“It gives them the choice on how they spend the voucher and when they spend it.”
The group is also preparing to introduce an Intergenerational Program called Granny M, which will involve seniors engaging with young children in childcare centres.
Named after a former Able client, nicknamed Granny M, the program will include seniors assisting with lesson plans and activities.
“We want to ensure that the younger generation is learning from the older generation,” Ms Williams said.
“Importantly, we want to address the lack of older male role models.
Men tend not to get involved in social programs, so we want to engage more of them, including through partnerships with Men’s Sheds.”
Looking to the future, Cuppa Plus is laying the groundwork for at least 10 programs, hoping that many will be developed in partnership with local community groups.
“By the end of this year, we hope to have all programs started, and have that strong sense of community that went away when Able left,” Ms Williams said.