The old saying ‘it takes a village’ is the best way to describe the ethos behind a Sunshine Coast charity’s latest venture.
As a place that will provide delicious house-made food and drink, the new enterprise will also provide vocational training opportunities for local individuals with disabilities.
Connections Cafe Maroochydore is a collaboration between the Compass Institute, one of the Sunshine Coast’s longest-standing disability services, and The Avenue Retirement Village, which is home to 113 resort-style independent living apartments for over-60s.
Named after Compass’ first social enterprise cafe in Nambour, Compass head of business and growth Sandra Brodie said the for-purpose cafe came about after a phone call.
“Late last year, out of the blue, I got a phone call from a lovely lady asking about whether Compass would be interested in opening a new social enterprise cafe in Maroochydore,” Ms Brodie said.
“Some of the residents at The Avenue had been to our other social enterprise cafes on the Coast and loved what we were about and the experience they’d had with our trainees, so were advocating for Compass to be the cafe of choice to operate from their premises.
“To us, this was a huge compliment, as The Avenue is not their place of business, it’s their home.”
Ms Brodie said Compass realised this as a special opportunity for the residents, wider community and trainees.
“Beyond the prospect of creating further opportunities for our trainees for vocational training, was the opportunity to connect an older generation into the magic that young people with disabilities bring, and vice versa, on a day-to-day basis.”
As CEO of Aura Holdings, the company behind The Avenue, Sean Graham said the addition of the cafe in the heart of the facility was a crucial step in connecting residents with community.
“A well-run cafe brings a vibrance to a village – it creates a place to meet, a delicious alternative to cooking, as well as a great opportunity to connect with the local community and support local business,” Mr Graham said.
The cafe has been made possible through the generosity of the Sunshine Coast community, after more than 130 local business people came together at the 2022 Compass Institute Golf Day and raised more than $50,000 for the project.
While the cafe opened quietly in late 2022, on February 14 the Connections Cafe team shared the love and said thank you to the community that brought them to life.
The team delivered more than 113 thank you treats to the residents of The Avenue and more than 50 taster boxes showcasing Connections Cafe’s finest sweets to Maroochydore businesses.
“We believe in the magic of community and now we are proud to be able to share a little of that magic back,” Ms Brodie said.
“And what better time to do that than Valentine’s Day!”
Connections Cafe Maroochydore is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 2.30pm, and is open to residents of The Avenue Retirement Village and the wider community.
The cafe located on the ground floor of The Avenue at 32 Baden Powell Street, Maroochydore.
Help keep independent and fair Sunshine Coast news coming by subscribing to our free daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email. See SUBSCRIBE at the top of this article.
