By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
TUCKED behind Moe Neighbourhood House, members of the Gippsland car scene have driven a difference-making local charity into gear.
Raising Awareness One Drive at a Time was established in 2024 after a few people in the local car-loving community lost their lives to suicide.
The idea was sparked for Abby and Bryce Thetford to offer support and see change within the community.
“It sort of flicked a switch in my brain (that) we’ve got to help people,” Mrs Thetford told the Express.
The original plan was to accelerate the initiative through the power of car culture to raise money for suicide prevention, which has since evolved into a standalone outreach service for the less fortunate.
“We use to have monthly car meets, but we’ve sort of dropped off on that because obviously this has taken over,” Mrs Thetford said.
After putting it out to the wider community a few months ago, the Moe family has seen an incredible response and now feature a shed full of food, clothes, shoes and tents to be handed out to those in need – a majority of which has been donated.
The charity’s founder was surprised but warmed by the overwhelming amount of people who wanted to help.
“It has been absolutely fantastic … I put up one single post and it was like 200 messages going ‘we’ve got this, we’ve got that’ … I was actually in tears like it’s working, it’s helping people,” Mrs Thetford said.
“It was a big shock to the system, but the community’s been fantastic.”
The One Drive at a Time crew has developed a real connection with locals, and additionally supported many families out there struggling with food and clean clothes.
The charity will also host a Christmas run in partnership with Gippsland Santa Run on December 20, where kids and families will be brought back to the outreach hub at Moe Neighbourhood House to receive their donated Christmas toys and presents.
That community response has been equally massive, with their storage unit filled to the brim.
It is often difficult to breakthrough with the homeless, not willing to put themselves out there for help, but the service has been patient in an effort to see them open up.
“It can be quite difficult … with homeless people, they want their privacy,” Mrs Thetford said.
One man the outreach service is supporting has had his tents slashed multiple times, but still needs to be nudged into being provided help.
“He just wants to get off the street and for people to hear his story, but he doesn’t want everyone to feel sorry for him at the same time,” Mrs Thetford said.
All of these initiatives blend into the primary mission of One Drive at a Time, being to provide mental health counsel for anyone and everyone.
Mrs Thetford said that “if someone is struggling mentally or physically or having those thoughts that none of us like to speak about, they can come down here.”
The doors are open for all every Friday and every second Saturday to receive advice and eventual referral to other mental health supports.
“There’s a lot of people out there, whether it’s not-for-profits or charities or just people wanting to help, there’s stigma around it, they think that once you’ve helped them once, they should be fine,” Mrs Thetford said.
“As a charity, you’ve got to stick on top of that and make sure you’re (there) forever.”
One Drive at a Time has embedded themselves within the community, and will prosper with a strong contingent of young people ready to jump on board.
For more information, visit Raising Awareness One Drive at a Time on Facebook.
