L’Arche Hunter – Meet Maree

When I was a little girl I went to Kindergarten at Cheltenham Public School. My mother had five children and my grandfather lived in a granny flat at the back of our Epping house and my father was very sick and was in hospital, he had a heart operation. I then went to two schools in Epping before going to Boarding School at Mater Dei so that I could learn more.

We had to sell the Epping house and we moved to the Central Coast and Mum and John bought a house in a retirement village but they both got very sick and died. I had a lovely family.

I tried living in a couple of Group homes in Orange but I found that was not for me, so I told my Mother I would be happy to live anywhere as long as it was not a group home.

A lady brought us to Merewether and to see some flats there and I have been living there ever since. I like living in Merewether.

I have two birds Wally and Harry and they are very happy. I look after them well. They are well fed and I talk to them and they talk and listen to me. I do my own housework and washing. I like looking after myself.

There is an office at the back of our flats and the staff there help me.

I am a happy person, full of jokes. I am good with my hands and like doing craft. I like to keep busy.

On Mondays I go shopping with staff, Tuesdays I go to Art Mania Wallsend from 10-12.30am and Wednesdays to Ladies Chill and Chat run by the Baptist Church where we do craft.

I like to go to L’Arche to meet people, they care about me. We go there on one Saturday each month.

I like to meet people and try things out. I like talking to my birds and when they are outside in their cage people stop to talk to them too. One thing I really like to eat is donuts but I am trying really hard not to even look at them. It is better if I eat healthy food.