By Glynnis Grainger
IN the giving stakes, CherryDell Riupassa punches above her weight but the life’s work of this ordinary pensioner and single mother is facing a significant hurdle.
Joseph’s Coat, the WA-based Christian charity she founded to help destitute children in third world countries has to find new premises to house its merchandise and packing rooms.
Ms Riupassa told The Record that they are looking for a new home as their 12-month loan of a cottage owned by a Christian church in Bayswater comes to an end.
Each month the organisation sends around 20 parcels of clothing, linen and toys overseas.
“Christians help us and all the office-bearers are Christian, including Catholics,” Ms Riupassa said.
“Abandoned children, children with AIDS, children living on rubbish dumps and girls rescued from brothels are among those we help.”
Her work began in 1981 while she was living in the United States. She started out sending clothes to children in Lebanon through friends she had in the United Nations.
After living in Perth for 10 years, she began sending parcels to the Philippines and South Africa in 1985.
Apart from clothes, Joseph’s Coat sends knitted teddy bears, beanies, scarves, rugs, nappies, towels and soap, while responding to specific requests for essential items.
The organisation formed JCI Medical Outreach to send medical items to refugee families, leprosy clinics, street kids and people with disabilities amongst others in countries such as Cambodia, Ecuador, India and Romania.
Joseph’s Coat supplies Christian Brother Olly Pickett, at Wangara, with all-new rugs and toys that go out with his wheelchairs – nearly 1,000 rugs a year, and hundreds of stuffed toys.
Seven wheelchairs have just gone by container to Uganda – at a cost of $13,000 a container, including Customs – paid for by a man in Northam.
She gave a lot of help to the late Fr Brian Morrison with his charity work with the Papua-New Guinea tsunami, or tidal wave, and to the Maldives, with the Boxing Day tsunami.
Volunteers work at the cottage from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Mondays and Fridays – the latter when country people come and stay in Perth for the weekend. Six men in Albany and two in Perth make wooden toys for the parcels.
A stall is held once a month outside the Stirling Community Centre at the back of Karrinyup Shopping Centre, borrowing a couple of trestles from the City of Stirling.
The charity has appealed for members of the public to consider helping out; whether sorting, packing, sewing bags, or helping to transport parcels overseas and interstate when travelling.
Donations can be sent to: Joseph’s Coat Inc, PO Box 1503, Osborne Park BC, WA 6917, telephone/fax 9446 9624.