Over the coming weeks, we will be featuring four incredible women from across the Bega Valley who have been included in the NSW Rural Women's Network's 'Hidden Treasures' Honour Roll. This week it's Bega's Helen Slater.
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Helen Slater says she has no idea how many scones, slices and sausage rolls she has made over the years.
But it's those tasty treats - along with a host of other incredible efforts for her community - that have seen her named on the NSW Hidden Treasures Honour Roll.
The NSW government initiative was created to recognise and elevate the invaluable volunteer efforts of women across regional, rural and remote NSW communities.
Ninety-one women were recognised as Hidden Treasures during National Volunteer Week, May 20-26, to celebrate the important role they play in building vibrant communities across NSW.
Four of those were from the Bega Valley, including Helen.
However, the recognition came as somewhat of a surprise to her - she only found out when the certificate arrived in her mailbox on May 22.
There's no denying Helen is worthy of inclusion on the list of incredible regional women.
She has decades of volunteer work under her belt and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
When ACM visited Helen's home to find out more, she was just taking freshly made slices out of the oven destined for a funeral the following day.
Along with the rest of the women in the Bega and District Nursing Home Auxiliary - of which Helen has been president for 20 years - she helps cater for numerous funerals and community functions.
She also bakes fresh scones every day of the annual Bega Show and recalled helping feed everyone taking shelter at the Bega Showground during the 2018 Tathra bushfire evacuation.
However, it's not only her baked goods for which Helen was renowned.
Anyone appreciating the wreaths laid at Bega Valley Anzac Day services can thank her for a substantial proportion of the flowers and foliage used.
She said the nursing home auxiliary get started early with car-loads of flowers, hand-building each wreath for veterans' families, community organisations, and business houses to show their respects.
"I raid all my shrubs for foliage. There are neighbours with gardens and people in town with chrysanthemums who all share," Helen said.
"People are used to me ringing them up.
"It takes a lot of organising, but people are so cooperative."
Those gardening and wreath-making skills were called into service again just recently for the Bega Soldiers' Memorial Gate centenary, where more than 100 wreaths were crafted by Helen and the auxiliary.
"We got started at 8am with a lot of lovely people helping - we had 105 done by 12."
Through her ties to the nursing home - both on the board and volunteer auxiliary, Helen has been at the forefront of considerable fundraising for the home's residents.
As well as being on the board for more than two decades and part of the efforts raising money to build Casuarina - $1million of community donations - Helen said she also helped plant all the trees at The Oaks with Trevor Miller, and worked with Edna Duncanson on all the tiles and fittings for the retirement village also.
She said she was also heavily involved in the extensions and additions to Hillgrove House Nursing Home.
The auxiliary raised around $140,000 for those extensions, and continued to raise funds towards providing improvements for Hillgrove House residents.
It's helped put bedding, curtains and blinds throughout the home, special refrigerators and air conditioning in the kitchen, and a gorgeous mural in the dementia wing that residents love, among a lot of other creature comforts.
"Last year the auxiliary made over $40,000 through wreaths and catering," Helen said.
"And there's only eight of us. There are 100 residents in the nursing home, but only one family member of a resident is in the auxiliary.
"I always say if you want to know what's going on, get involved.
"There's a great satisfaction from being involved," Helen said.
"I enjoy doing it all. I'm happy out here [in my garden], but I love the people contact. I get a lot of pleasure out of it.
"I'm a hidden person and I'd like to stay that way - but it's a great thrill to be recognised."
More than 1200 women have been commended on the Hidden Treasures Honour Roll since 2010.
Ben Smyth
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
