Our new mates from Feros Age Care Facility...
In our opinion, some work days are best spent singing Frank Sinatra with local senior citizens.
Giving back to our community is an important part of our work culture at Stone & Wood, and so we’re lucky enough to enjoy extra annual leave to dedicate to volunteering.
Our crew has the option to choose an organisation close to their heart or otherwise jump onto a team volunteer day – which a handful of us did recently Feros Care Wommin Bay, an aged care village by Kingscliff Beach and just 40 minutes up the road.
An open-plan village swept with sea breeze, Feros Care Wommin Bay is home to some 70 residents with varying care and support needs – and all with a story to share. Here, we hoped not only to help out during the residents’ daily activities, but also to lend an ear and share quality company.
After morning tea and cake – with our creative and community manager Jaz slinging coffees on the machine – we each paired up with a resident and, accompanied by Lisa, Kai and Cate from Feros, walked the 500 metres to Kingscliff Beach.
The winter sun filtered through the cloud cover as about 20 of us rested on the timber beach lookout, spotting whales offshore and marvelling the display of steel blue and turquoise blending through the water.
Here, we had the privilege of chatting one-on-one with our buddy residents, hearing childhood recounts and updates on their children. One resident, Bonnie, 98, recalled in amazing detail how she and her brother as kids would catch live worms around the Tweed River to catch saltwater fish.
We later shared a relaxed lunch before making our way to the large common room for the main event: karaoke.
Shortly after Tasting Room manager Jess and marketing coordinator Rory warmed the stage with a Greece ‘Summer Nights’ rendition, our audience grew to a full-house, with residents walking and wheeling in from all over the village.
There we spent the afternoon passing the mic among us – including to a handful of residents who sung Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ and several other classic hits, with no shortage of gusto.
Our day at Feros Care Wommin Bay was nothing short of awesome; each of us left with their heart full and plans to return. What’s more, Lisa from Feros even sparked the idea of arranging a brewery tour for some of the citizens. Here or there, we look forward to catching up with these guys again!
