Community
14 May, 2025
Cobden Op Shop counsellor gains new certification
COBDEN Uniting Church Op Shop recently had the opportunity to send their welfare counsellor to Melbourne for a one-day workshop on understanding poverty, expanding the wealth of knowledge and skills she is able to provide for those who need it most.
The op shop has been providing a free welfare service for approximately 30 years, which is possible thanks to the continuous flow of people in and out of the op shop browsing and buying goods.
Current counsellor Helen Perkins has been working with the op shop for the past six years and said the course was very informative and gave participants a wonderful opportunity to workshop scenarios and network amongst themselves.
“I read a book first called ‘Bridges out of Poverty’ then attended a course in Melbourne which was directly linked,” she said.
“I thought it would be great to do because it would give me some more skills to use in my job here.
“There was a lot of interaction and I heard what happens in other areas as well as here, and I’ve come back with more skills and more knowledge to use in the community.
“The church being able to fund the course for me was amazing because I really wanted to do it.
“I thought, hmmm, it’s a lot of money, but it was really good and worthwhile.”
Counselling provided by Mrs Perkins is free and confidential.
“Think of it like a locked box,” she said.
“People just come in, they can have a chat, they can have a cup of tea or coffee and they are welcome to our community space as well.
“I say they can come back if they need anything or need to talk and we’re finding it’s a really worthwhile service.
“I’m a trained counsellor and former nurse with many years of experience in assisting people.”
Conducted from a private room within the op shop, Mrs Perkins is also able to help with food, food cards – which can be used at Cobden Ritchie’s IGA – and petrol vouchers for Matthew’s BP, all through the op shop welfare service.
The food is from the food bank in Camperdown, which comes from Warrnambool, and the Cobden Uniting Church pays for the petrol vouchers and food cards.
Cobden Uniting Church treasurer and Op Shop joint manager Barbara Cowley explained how the funding works.
“The money from the op shop goes into the church account, then is distributed from there,” she said.
“Examples of our donations have been to help the Cobden Primary School with funding for school camps, the Hampden Specialist School, the Kidding Around Cobden Event, and the Heytesbury Show – this is all a part of our church outreach into our local community.
“The community supports us with donations to sell in our shop so we like to give back as much as we can.
“We hope to be able to continue to do that, and welcome contact from local groups and organisations to have a chat about how we might be able to help.”
Mrs Perkins said she is thankful for all the support she has received from the community over the years and continues to receive every day.
“We’ve got a local walking group (Cobden Walking Group) and they’ve decided to donate a small amount every time they come in for their cuppa to use for welfare, so that’s been really helpful,” she said.
“Sometimes people need a prescription and they don’t get paid for five days, so I can give them the cash and they can walk over the road and get the prescription.
“Or baby formula, or any of those things that you can’t get at the supermarket.
“If people are really struggling I let them take some clothing from the op shop or shoes or whatever they might need.
“I have about 30 regular clients, but it’s also okay if someone wants to only come in once – most people just want to have a chat, so fostering rapport, allowing them to feel comfortable enough to express themselves openly and share their vulnerability in a confidential and supportive setting is of paramount importance.”
The op shop, located at 50 Curdie Street, is open 10am-3pm on weekdays, 10am-12noon on Saturday, and Mrs Perkins is available every Tuesday for support.
No referral is required and she can be contacted on 0422 320 773 for any further questions or to organise an appointment.
If Mrs Perkins is unavailable, the op shop can be contacted on 0475 699 483 during opening hours and a message may be left.
For funding enquiries please email cobdenuc@gmail.com or phone the op shop and leave a message.
Read More: Cobden