After years behind the wheel, most people would be happy to hang up the keys and enjoy a well-earned rest in their retirement.

But for retired bus driver Brenton, it was the start of a new chapter volunteering as a mobile wardrobe van driver for AnglicareSA’s Thread Together service, which provides South Australians in need with brand-new clothes that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Brenton said he was looking for things he could do in his retirement to help others when his friend, AnglicareSA Chaplain Mara Di Francesco, suggested he would be a good fit for Thread Together.

“I couldn’t on my own give the type of clothing away that Thread Together has, but AnglicareSA needed someone to volunteer to drive the van,” Brenton said.

“I am thankful to be able to participate and use my energies to help others whilst I am still able to.

“The beauty of volunteering is that I can do something that I enjoy because I want to, and work with a great team of volunteers.”

As a Thread Together van driver, Brenton, with the support of a stylist, travels around metropolitan and regional South Australia to deliver clothing to those in the community who have been referred to the service.

When out at different sites, the mobile wardrobe can service anywhere from three people to 50, so part of the driver and stylists’ volunteer roles is to make sure the van is fully stocked with enough clothes to provide a few items of clothing for each person.

Brenton said the satisfaction of seeing people experiencing hardship light up from receiving new clothing is what encouraged him to continue volunteering.

“There’s a lot of good second-hand clothing around, but this is brand-new that no one else has worn,” he said.

“Some people we visit have never had brand-new clothing, so they really light up when they receive new clothes.  

“Once, a young girl experiencing homelessness saw a puffer jacket inside the van, and that was all she wanted. She told me that when she left home, all she left with was her school uniform.

“It touched my heart to know that I had helped her in some way move on and out of that situation.”

While his official role as a volunteer was to drive the mobile wardrobe, Brenton said he also liked to hop out of the van while visiting different sites and chat to the people he meets.

“I enjoy talking to people, and I don’t find it hard to do that,” he said.

“Sometimes, it’s not so much me talking as creating a non-threatening situation or space where someone feels free to talk.”

 

 

Want to volunteer?

From 19-25 May 2025, it is National Volunteer Week – an important time to recognise and celebrate volunteers who give their time to support others and build stronger, more connected communities. AnglicareSA is proud to have a community of more than 200 volunteers whose commitment continues to shape lives in meaningful ways and enables us to offer a wide range of essential services to South Australians in need.

In the last financial year, AnglicareSA Thread Together volunteers like Brenton have helped provide brand-new, quality clothing to more than 5,000 people in need.

If you would like to help keep this volunteer-run service available by becoming a van driver, please register your interest.