Find new purpose
The notion of purpose is a big one. To some, it’s an un-mentioned motivation that drives the everyday. To others, it’s a more conscious pursuit of what matters in life. Perhaps, it’s a devotion or faith to higher ideals.
However you think about your purpose in life, there’s no doubt that being thoughtful about how you choose to spend your days is pretty powerful. Sharing a skill? Starting a social enterprise? Spiritual service? With more time to reflect and re-connect with things that bring you joy – now’s the prime time to take a deeper look inside and find out what you’re all about.
Discover a new you at Oran Park Village
Final release now selling.
Meet Rodger
Carpenter, Toymaker
Rodger had built every house he ever lived in. So moving to Oran Park twelve years ago was a big shift. He worried his hands, busy from a lifetime of experience as a carpenter and joiner, would go unoccupied. That was until Rodger transformed an old storage room at the Village into a fully equipped woodworking space.
“I set the workshop up, built the benches, and even brought my grandfather’s workbench with me – I helped my grandfather build that when I was seven years old,” says Rodger. "I enjoy it because, as I say, it’s my trade, it lets me keep working with my hands and it keeps me busy.”
“We have a ball in the workshop, always having a go at one another, but at the end of the day, we’re there for each other.”
- Rodger Stuart
Known as ‘Mitre Joint,’ the workshop is now a beloved place for residents not just to create, but to chat too. “We have a ball in the workshop, always having a go at one another, but at the end of the day, we’re there for each other,” Rodger says.
On top of the chiseling and conversation, the woodworkers at Mitre Joint also come together to turn their hands to a cause. Rodger and his fellow woodworkers craft toys for children affected by domestic violence, finding purpose and camaraderie in the process – “It’s great because it gives you a feeling [that you’re] coming up and doing something.”
They say you have one hand to help yourself, the other for helping others – just ask Rodger.
Discover a new you at Oran Park Village
Final release now selling.
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Inspired by the gospel of reconciliation in Jesus Christ, Anglicare's vision for reconciliation is a nation in which Australia's First Peoples are restored in dignity, respect, empowerment and opportunity.