From despair to hope, Rob’s journey nourished by FareShare meals
Every day, thousands of people enjoy a FareShare meal. Each of them has a unique story and reason for asking for help. Rob is just one of them and he’s been generous enough to share his life journey with us…
Rob is one of those naturally friendly, welcoming people who has a way of making you feel comfortable as soon as you strike up a conversation.
From his upbeat attitude, you wouldn’t know that he had a troubled youth, got mixed up in some bad stuff, and was in such a dark place, he attempted suicide when he was 21.
This tragic incident left him with a broken neck and subsequently paralysed on one side of his body. For many people, this would be too much. For Rob, it was the start of a new chapter.
“God spared me, and turned my life around, but the experience left me paralysed down the right side of my body. That means I can’t stand on my feet too long. And with all the chopping, the cleaning up – I can’t really cook.”
As Rob says, his disability makes it virtually impossible for him to cook even the most basic of meals. This renders most charity food hampers and groceries redundant. He simply doesn’t know what he’d do without FareShare meals.
“FareShare provides me with a way to eat. When I come home and try to find food to eat, I can just reach into the freezer and pick out a FareShare meal, heat it up and enjoy it.”
One of the things Rob likes most about our meals is that they’re nutritious. He also likes the variety and quality. One of his favourites is the lasagne.
As he gazes out of his modest unit on the Gold Coast (“A blessing. It’s warm and safe, I’m so grateful for that.”), Rob explains that he is especially grateful for our meals as he starts to feel his age.
“Inside myself, I’m feeling fantastic. But physically, I’m wearing out a bit. I’m on crutches. It’s tough to do little things. Even getting off the toilet or having a shower is a big challenge. Or getting up in the middle of the night, I feel my stiff old body. It’s hard to move around.
“I guess getting old is not for the faint hearted. It closes in on you a bit. Life gets smaller.”
And it’s not just the physical, practical side of things that FareShare meals help him with. It’s the financial side too:
“Receiving FareShare meals is a financial blessing. I don’t know how I’d do it otherwise, especially on a pension. It can be really tight. FareShare puts the oil in there that gets me through. It’s a real bonus to be able to make ends meet.”
“I guess getting old is not for the faint hearted. It closes in on you a bit. Life gets smaller.”
Rob still keeps busy by attending church regularly, mentoring other people, and retaining a leadership role in the congregation. He receives FareShare meals from the Indigenous Futures Foundation, one of our partner charities in Queensland.
As his parting words, Rob has a message for the chefs, volunteers, and donors who cook and fund FareShare meals:
“Thank you very much. I appreciate all that you do. It’s not wasted. It’s a real blessing, not just for me, but for so many people. Thank you sincerely.”
On behalf of the chefs, volunteers, and donors, we thank you, Rob, for being such an inspiration. We hope we can help you and so many other people, each with their own unique stories to tell, for a long time to come.
FareShare will be present at many NAIDOC 2024 activities this week, and supports the celebration and recognition of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders
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