NSW Regional Woman of the Year 2024 Theresa Mitchell - interview
In 2009, Theresa Mitchell founded Agape Outreach Inc, a charity that focuses on assisting the homeless and those in need. Agape has grown substantially since then and is currently valued at almost $2 million. It operates between Byron Bay in NSW and Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Agape's activities include collecting rescued foods, preparing meals and food hampers for families, providing case management support, offering assistance with applications for people applying for disability insurance services, running a psychology department, offering access to showers and laundry facilities, and conducting group training for basic life skills. With a dedicated team of more than 240 volunteers and 5 paid staff members, Agape serves more than 1,000 people and rescues over 2 tonnes of edible food per week. The organisation is entirely community-funded.
Despite not being a top academic performer, and facing challenges associated with having ADHD and dyslexia, Theresa is working hard to become a clinical psychologist in her own psychology department. She is 5 years into her study, with 5 years to go to gain her final degree and PhD.