The People Who Help Hold Cooinda

There are some places that are managed, and there are others that are held with care.

Cooinda Retreats has always been one of those places.

Across generations, volunteers have brought their time, skills, energy and personalities to Cooinda. They have cared for the grounds, welcomed guests, noticed the small things, shared meals and stories, solved problems and helped create the warmth that people feel when they arrive.

At Toc H South Australia, volunteers have never been an addition to our work. They are part of its heart.

Volunteering here is not simply about completing a list of jobs. It is about becoming part of a place and contributing to something shared. Each person brings something different, and Cooinda is richer for every one of them.

Recently, we said goodbye to Jeff, Marieke and Bear after five wonderful months as part of the Cooinda community.

Jeff and Marieke brought tremendous energy, enthusiasm, warmth and generosity to their time with us. They understood intuitively that the Cooinda experience is created not only through its buildings and natural surroundings, but through the way people are welcomed and the care shown in countless everyday moments.

They cared for the grounds and facilities, supported guests and worked alongside our wider volunteer community. They also became part of the ordinary life of Cooinda through shared meals, stories, conversations and those unplanned moments that often become the most memorable.

And then there was Bear.

Curious, enthusiastic and always ready to be involved, Bear quite simply became part of Cooinda. He brought his own wonderful energy to the site and reminded us that community is often created most naturally when people are simply welcomed to participate and be themselves.

Jeff, Marieke and Bear each left their own mark on Cooinda, and we remain enormously grateful for everything they contributed and for the genuine connections formed during their time with us.

As one chapter concludes, another begins.

We are now very pleased to welcome Rod and Anne into the caretaker role at Cooinda Retreats.

There is something especially meaningful about seeing new volunteers arrive and begin forming their own relationship with this place. Rod and Anne are not simply stepping into a position. They are becoming part of a long and generous tradition of people who have chosen to give their time, care and presence to Cooinda and to the work of Toc H South Australia.

Every caretaker brings different experiences, strengths and ways of contributing. That is exactly as it should be. Cooinda does not ask people to become somebody else when they arrive. It invites them to bring who they are and find their own place within its continuing story.

We look forward to Rod and Anne making the role their own, becoming part of the rhythms of Cooinda and sharing in the friendships, conversations and experiences that make volunteering here so special.

As we continue developing Cooinda Retreats as a Community Centre Village, this spirit of volunteering and belonging will become even more important. The future of Cooinda will not be measured only by new buildings, gardens or facilities. It will be measured by the life within them and by the people who choose to contribute, participate and care.

To Jeff, Marieke and Bear, thank you for the chapter you shared with us.

To Rod and Anne, welcome. We are genuinely delighted that you are here and look forward to the chapter ahead.

This is how Cooinda continues to grow: one contribution, one connection and one generous act of service at a time.