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Home Blog Goodbye to Beehive Industries
17Oct

Good bye to Beehive Industries

blog, featured | 17 Oct 2024 |

After 53 years, from a small mail room in the QVB to our work centre and warehouse in Darlinghurst, Beehive Industries is closing its doors today.  

It has been a bittersweet time for all of us, as our Beehivers, some of whom have been attending for nearly twenty years said goodbye to friends and staff. 

We have been honored to learn the names and stories of our Beehivers:

from Emiliya, from Ukraine, who has been attending for 16 years;

to Santokh who, when he is not volunteering at Beehive with his friends, is also helping at his Sikh Temple on weekends;

to Xiu Ling, who is a spring chicken at 94, but has been consistently been attending and helping out for many years.  Xiu Ling also started Beehive's first walking group, that take healthy walks around the block after the lunch services;

to Christine, who wanted to continue to volunteer, and is now going to join the charity 4Voices to help young women and girls in need;

to Min, who cannot speak English, but has been dedicated in contributing his skills and energy for nearly a decade;

to Florida, who has attended Beehive every day to volunteer and work.  She will now pursue volunteering in medical organisations;

to Janeece, who won our volunteer of the year award last year.  Janeece was dedicated to helping Beehive send thousands of books across Australia through our work with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. 

We are grateful to all our supporters, from OzHarvest, Wayside Chapel, City of Sydney, RMS, Telstra, Sydney Water, Legacy Australia and countless more.  

Beehive operated in the spirit of giving Sydney's vulnerable seniors, people with a disability and the long-term unemployed, a place to feel safe, needed and have a sense of purpose. 

Upon hearing the news of our closure, our Beehivers expressed tremendous grief.  "There is no where else we can go", they said.  "This place was my family, my other home".

We are grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have been part of our Beehivers' lives. 

Beehive's staff can attest to the fact that all of us have been changed for the better by our Beehivers.  

Now, more than ever, people are experiencing loneliness and social isolation.  It is important to maintain connections with people across all ages and backgrounds. 

Thank you everyone for your support, and maybe we shall see you all again.




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