St Vincent de Paul Society Northern Territory Council recently visited the remote community of Santa Teresa to learn about local needs firsthand as they explore establishing a Vinnies Remote Community Store.

Following inquiries from community representatives, the Council journeyed to Santa Teresa to view a potential site for the proposed store. Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci, who was also visiting Santa Teresa, met the Council after celebrating Mass.

With 10 Vinnies stores already operating across the NT, this new location would offer a model that might be replicated in other more remote parts of the Territory if communities wanted such a store. 

Damian Legg, President of St Vincent de Paul Society NT, said, ‘The Society hopes, over time, it can play a part in helping remote communities by offering support that brings opportunity. We focus on what we can do well and what the community values most.’

The store would serve 600 community members, providing essential items such as clothing, which residents currently need to travel 85 kilometres to Alice Springs to buy.

For Santa Teresa locals, this represents a significant milestone – not only improving access to everyday necessities but creating valuable opportunities for local skill development and community engagement.

With an understanding of what would best serve the community and local support, the NT Council will continue their planning, including fundraising for the site development, as they work toward making this community-driven store a reality. The Society is grateful for the warm welcome from Santa Teresa and looks forward to working with the community on this initiative.