Michelle Henry’s Story

- Wardell, NSW

Michelle Henry and WardellCORE

For Michelle Henry, knowing that you’re not alone and looking out for others has always been important. After her town of Wardell was hit by catastrophic flooding in 2022, having a community that looked after each other suddenly became essential. “We were the second largest river town to get flooded and there were so little resources available for small country towns”, Michelle reflects. “I started volunteering after the floods along with a few others and it grew into WardellCORE.”

WardellCORE is now registered as a not-for-profit organisation that continues to offer support to the community. “We have a free counselling program that runs five days a week and we also offer food workshops, growing workshops and mental health workshops along with other initiatives”, Michelle explains.

As a counsellor, mental health and well-being have been central for Michelle when it comes to understanding resilience. Her involvement with OzGREEN has also hinged around this. “OzGREEN helped me and others to find our voices”, she shares. “They have helped me to stay strong in this space. We're continuously under the pump here but it's nice to know we're not alone; that there are other people who care and have got our back”

Like many other groups, WardellCORE is currently trying to secure funding in order to continue its invaluable work. Amongst other initiatives, a women's health program and holistic wellbeing program are on the cards. When reflecting on what’s next, Michelle’s eyes widen. She recognises that there’s a lot of need, but equally and fortunately, she sees a lot of scope.

“I love that we don't have to wait for the government to sort it out for us. We’re just like: right what needs to happen? - Let's do it.” It’s this type of attitude that seems to keep Michelle going. “One thing I got from OzGREEN was seeing how many people were prepared to support one another. There's so many fabulous ideas and people just need a platform to be able to grow them”.

Underlying everything, it is community that continues to sustain Michelle’s hope. “People inspire me. There's a lot of love and kindness… and many who are prepared to step up”