We catch up with Woolworths store team member and energetic mother-of-four Emily Hugget on a busy Friday afternoon. Despite her hectic schedule, it’s obvious that Emily is grateful for the life she’s currently living – one she proudly built for herself and her kids.
The positive impact of OzHarvest
3:10 min read
Only a few short years ago, Emily’s story was very different, finding herself in a situation where she was facing homelessness and struggling to provide for her four children.
It was during this time that the kindness of strangers made all the difference. Emily was connected with the team at OzHarvest through the support of her Woolworths team. While collecting food she found a community of loving and patient volunteers who gave her a supportive space where she could share her story without fear.
“There was no judgement whenever they talked to you,” Emily says, and despite not knowing the volunteers personally, their actions made her feel like less of a stranger.
The partnership between Woolworths and OzHarvest is currently in its 10th year and has always been about more than just food. It’s about ensuring that no one must face their struggles alone, and for Emily and her family, this community proved to be a lifeline.
Now, years later, Emily no longer requires OzHarvest’s services, but her connection to the organisation remains strong. As an active volunteer, she is dedicated to ensuring that others need not worry about where their next meal is coming from.
“I had these beautiful things done for me and I'm in a good place now, so I thought, ‘Why can't I do these beautiful things for other people who are going through something similar or just want to know that there are people out there who care about them?’”
Between studying midwifery, family life and work, it’s a frantic pace. Thankfully, Emily reports, “everyone is happy and healthy [and] the kids are thriving”. Now she says she’s in a position to mentor and encourage her Woolworths team members at the Marayong, Sydney store to also get involved with the OzHarvest community.
“I want to have conversations [be] started in store. Having gone through what I have, I can see the signs in other people. I let them know, ‘Hey, I'm here to talk 24/7.’ That's really what I needed back then. I just needed a place to talk and somebody to listen, and not judge me,” she explains.
As Woolworths marks its 100th year in 2024, Emily’s story serves as a reminder of the difference a community filled with compassion can make. “My Woolworths team, I care about them. I care about their physical and mental well-being, I'm always checking in on everyone … we're a family,” she says.
