By Aaron Cordy
WHEN men retire, it can be a rewarding time spent with family and friends and tackling those odd jobs around the house that they never seemed to get around to. For others, it can mean losing a daily routine, friends and work colleagues, and the purpose that has kept them going for most of their lives.
Mooroopna Men’s Shed (MMS) is a place where men of all ages and life experiences can come together, have a cuppa and a chat, a bit of lunch, a yarn, and if you are interested, you can do a bit of community work like furniture restoration and assembling bikes for local kids.
“There’s a lot of good guys here, and we usually have a good amount on Thursdays, especially around lunchtime. The boys come in and have a chat and sit down and talk,” said MMS member Jonothan Leaver.
“We’ve heard out in the community that some people are not willing to join because they think they have to assemble bikes, and that they don’t want to do that, so they don’t come. That’s not the case. You can come and just have a cup of coffee if that’s all you want to do. You’re not required to do anything in particular.”
Steve Levin who helps make the Myna bird cages that MMS sells, knew he needed something in his life when he retired from Furphy’s, and found it volunteering at Foodshare and at MMS.
“Before I finished up, I thought I’ve got to do this to keep going because I was so busy physically at work, and then to stop suddenly,” said Steven.
“When I did finish up, I did nothing for a couple of months, to say it was a holiday. And then I thought, yep, time to do something. I had the Men’s Shed in the back of my mind and Foodshare. I’m quite taken with doing the cages; it gives me something to do with my hands.”
Mooroopna Men’s Shed does woodwork, metalwork, furniture restoration, bike assembly and repairs for Kmart, day tours, information on Men’s Health, voluntary community projects, guest speakers, Board Games and BBQ’s.
If anyone is interested in learning more about MMS, visit them on Thursdays from 9.00am to 4.00pm, or call 5825 1774 for more information.
