At her worst point Emma Stephens-Wood would literally cling on to door frames for dear life if someone tried to make her go outside.
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Her eight-year battle with severe anxiety saw the Bellambi woman struggle to even leave the house because of an ‘’extreme fear of the unknown’’.
‘’I think my anxiety really started just before I left school. I was bullied and didn’t have very much help at school and I needed the help,’’ Ms Stephens-Wood said.
‘’I left school and for about two or three years I would go out on jobs with my dad, who was a truck driver. I would just come home and not talk to anyone.
‘’I think not having that interaction with people and what not for about four years kind of set off the anxiety. It escalated it and then it got to a point where I was hanging on to door frames and crying.
‘’I couldn’t get out the emotion that I needed to get out.’’
Today the 25-year-old has a new found confidence which she attributes to volunteering at her local Op Shop.
Ms Stephens-Wood has volunteered four half-days a week for four months with Corrimal’s Mission Australia Op Shop and has even mustered the confidence to complete a Toastmasters Speechcraft program.
She helps to keep the store tidy, assists with administration tasks and enjoys dabbling in visual merchandising.
‘’I love volunteering with Mission Australia Op Shops. The staff are friendly, warm and welcoming and they’ve really helped me to build a good set of skills and my self-esteem,’’ Ms Stephens-Wood said.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing at the start.
‘’On my first day I was literally throwing up because of nerves, but with the support of staff, I now feel like I’m part of a big family. They’re helping me on my path to independence and to build the skills for an eventual career working with animals or children,’’ Ms Stephens-Wood said.
Her supervisor, Aileen La Rosa, said she has enjoyed mentoring Ms Stephens-Wood and seeing her transformation into a more confident young woman.
‘’When I first met Emma, she was very timid and she was too shy to say hello. But now, everyone loves her and she’s a real asset to our team,’’ Ms La Rosa said.
Mission Australia Op Shops annually provide work experience and training to more than 280 unemployed jobseekers and provide community engagement to over 300 volunteers.
During and to celebrate National Op Shop Week (August 21-27), Mission Australia Op Shops in Bellambi, Corrimal, Dapto, North Wollongong, Thirroul and Warilla will have a store-wide 30 per cent off sale.