Sherron Sunnex looking out over The Koha Shed community garden.
Sherron Sunnex looking out over The Koha Shed community garden.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”
The Koha Shed founder Sherron Sunnex has made this quote her mantra. “This is my calling, my purpose”, she said. “If we share, there will be no one in need.
“I have a real heart for the poor and homeless. I advocate for them because I was once a runaway child, homeless and trapped in addictions. I was given another chance. Someone has to speak out for the vulnerable, and you’re always not going to be liked for being that voice,” said Sunnex.
The flooding that hit Whanganui hard in June 2015 catalysed the start-up of The Koha Shed, now based in the old scout hall at 88 Duncan St. Sunnex, who also has four high-need foster children in her care, said The Koha Shed is a self-supporting, registered charity.
It provides wrap-around services for those in need, including free clothing, household goods and furniture, a community fridge open two hours every weekday, an on-site shower and a community garden.
“None of us are paid. I get calls all weekend, and I sometimes have to put on my dressing gown in the middle of the night and get down here to The Koha Shed,” said Sunnex.
She said more than 500 people come through The Koha Shed every week. “We provide what no one else does, although we collaborate with several other service providers.
“We have a good relationship with the ‘unhoused’. Most come here for showers, a cup of coffee, and maybe a new tent. What we really need is a piece of land with amenities and a caretaker on board; a base to keep them safe.
“We’re dealing with incredibly complex issues, including addiction, trauma and mental health challenges. I won’t give up until I’ve achieved a solution that suits everybody,” said Sunnex.
The Wanganui Ukulele Orchestra has chosen The Koha Shed as the focus of their World Famous in Whanganui Charity Concert, starting at 2pm on Sunday, November 24.
Tickets are $10 per person, with children under 12 free of charge if accompanied by an adult, and are available from The Koha Shed and The Gat Shack Whanganui, along with gate sales on the day.
The concert will be held in the grounds of Shurinji, 169B Kaitoke Rd, Whanganui, thanks to the generosity of owners Andrew and Penny Daddy. People are invited to bring a picnic and something to sit on.
They will be treated to live music from the Wanganui Ukulele Orchestra, followed by the Whanganui skiffle band Hot Potato, then the new boys in town, BB and the Bullets.
