Bathurst Uniting Support Services (BUSS) gets boost from MoneyQuest

MoneyQuest Bathurst's owner and finance specialist Ian Behan has made the donation ahead of Homelessness Week, which begins on August 1.

But his donation goes beyond just a business supporting a good cause.

Mr Behan has seen the work BUSS does firsthand after becoming a volunteer in December, 2021.

He helps BUSS with its Shelter Café by serving meals on weekends.

"I was looking to do something to give back to the local community and I'd heard about BUSS and some of their good, grassroots work that they do," he said.

"Being a mortgage broker, I essentially help people buy homes or get them into homes, and I realised that there are a lot of people not in a situation to buy, but some people can't even afford to rent property and find themselves homeless."

He said the work BUSS does is important in the community.

Not only does BUSS provide meals and warm clothes to people experiencing homelessness, the volunteers run numerous programs to help people improve their lives, whether it be something as simple as learning how to cook a meal with limited resources, to helping them overcome addiction.

READ MORE: What BUSS is doing to help the homeless and disadvantaged over winter

While Mr Behan is leaving it up to BUSS to determine how to use his donation, he is also working with the organisation to launch a new program around financial literacy.

He plans to volunteer with that program as well.

Mr Behan has also encouraged other people to consider volunteering with BUSS.

"I've found it very rewarding, so I would encourage more people to take part. I have learnt a lot from the people I've interacted with at the Shelter Café. I've learnt more from them than they probably do from me to be honest," he said.

BUSS coordinator Julie Fry has welcomed the support from Mr Behan, the likes of which is vital for the volunteer-run service.

"It's a generous thing, but Ian also puts his money where his mouth is and volunteers at the café and sits on our committee as well, so he contributes in lots of ways and obviously has a passion to be helping people in this space," she said.

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