From Community Café to Community Champion: Andrea Celebrates Milestone with At Home Care
When Andrea Holden talks about the early days, she talks about coffee, community, and music. Long before Andrea joined At Home Care, she ran a community café in England, a place where people with disabilities, particularly the deaf community, worked alongside her, and where community and inclusion were a lived practice.
Recently, Andrea celebrated two big milestones: Permanent Residency and five years as part of the At Home Care team. We sat down with Andrea to hear about her journey, the people who shaped it, and what keeps her coming back every morning.
No two weeks are the same
Andrea’s path into disability support wasn’t a planned career pivot so much as a continuation of what she’d always known. “My family has always been involved in disability; it was part of my life growing up,” Andrea says. After arriving in Australia, she thought she’d go back to her café roots and start in hospitality. However, a chance encounter with a young woman who was deaf changed that plan; Andrea began working with her and, in time, life here began to weave around people and possibilities.
A chance encounter at an all-abilities gym class has grown into something much more. From there, she met Emily, and Andrea introduced her to the other people she supports, and this has grown into friendships spanning almost a decade. “We’re a great little community,” Andrea says. “We go to gigs, we do classes, we support each other.”
What Andrea loves about being a support worker is the opportunities and the rewards it brings” It’s diverse and it opens up new experiences”, she states, “things I never would have expected to be part of my life, like going to the footy, and car detailing.”.
Building skills and breaking assumptions
Andrea’s work isn’t just about providing practical support and care; it’s about recognising strengths and helping them flourish. She points out that most people hear the word ‘disability’ and picture limitations rather than capabilities. “There’s a preconceived notion that narrows people’s mindsets,” Andrea says. “But if you spend time with someone, you start to see skills and the things that interest them”
Take Callan, for example. He was shy and introverted when they first met; now he drives, he’s recording his own song and playing music at gigs.
He even taught Andrea some aspects of car detailing and sparked an interest in Auslan (Australian Sign Language). “During COVID, Callan was fascinated by the interpreter alongside Mark McGowan,” Andrea remembers.
Andrea, who already had experience with British Sign Language, took Callan to an Auslan course, and because of this, she went on to complete the Level 3 Certificate in Auslan.
Others inspired another unexpected thread of Andrea’s life here: Zumba. “Emily and her friend love attending Zumba class and expressed a desire to teach a class, so I did the Zumba training to be able to facilitate this with them!” It’s now part of Andrea’s bigger plan to develop an all-abilities class, bringing movement, music, and fun into community spaces.
What the role really demands
If Andrea had to tell someone what people don’t realise about being a support worker, it would be this: “Listen and pay attention to what people enjoy. Celebrate that and find ways to make it grow.” She states that the job requires patience, curiosity and observation. You need to be able to gently open doors. “Allow people to try new things; they may not know what they enjoy until someone shows them.”
Andrea is proud of how the people she supports have become more connected to their neighbourhoods: walking their dogs, attending gigs, they supporting Callan’s car detailing business. The ripple effects of that openness are exactly what Andrea hoped for.
The work has also changed Andrea personally. “I’m naturally quite shy,” she expresses. “This role has boosted my confidence. It’s taken me out of my comfort zone and that’s been good for my own personal development.”
A simple, lasting piece of advice
When asked what advice they’d give someone starting in the role, Andrea is clear and practical: “If you listen and pay attention to what people enjoy, you can celebrate and elaborate on that, turning it into something meaningful. Build on those layers. Nudge them to open up, but always with respect. You’ll be surprised what people can do when they’re given the opportunity.”
Five years in, sponsored by At Home Care, Andrea now celebrates her permanent residency here and reflects on a path that continues to grow. Andrea’s story is one of quiet persistence and community building. It’s a reminder that support workers don’t only change individual lives; they expand neighbourhoods and create opportunities. Sometimes it starts with a cup of coffee and a bit of music.
Congratulations, Andrea — here’s to the next five years!