Since 2005, Sharon Alley has shared her culinary skills, sense of humour, and her love of children in the Tuckshop at Carey Donvale.  

Commencing work on 15 April 2005, Sharon brought with her a wealth of experience cooking for our seniors in the Aged Care industry. Her first reaction on the first day at Donvale was “how can I do this on my own”? There was a two-week trial period and only a day changeover instruction prior to commencing work in the Tuckshop, however in Carey Donvale’s inimitable fashion, she was welcomed by Jiannis Tsaousis (Jiannis was to become Donvale School captain and went on to make his mark on the Kew campus). Jiannis took Sharon by the hand and led her to the tuck shop. In stepping inside her new workplace, she realised that she had no knowledge of the products being sold, so she took some samples home to ask her daughter what they were. The Donvale Tuck Shop is situated below the school away from general school traffic and Sharon at first felt isolated and lonely in this new role after the busyness of her aged care position. She had left her previous position due to the administration not allowing her to make home cooked meals anymore, and so traded mashed potato for filling our Donvale students with healthy lunches and snacks by the score.  After much trepidation the paper bag orders rolled in, volunteer rosters were made up, and she was on her way. In Sharon’s words “I cannot imagine doing anything else now, as I come down to the Tuckshop in the morning, and breath in the fresh, beautiful, treed environment and feel truly blessed”.  

Sharon has spread her skills across both campuses over the years. She has worked with colleagues on a regular basis at Bulleen on a Saturday, helped with morning teas for production rehearsals at Kew, with a particular highlight being the end of year Christmas function which involves two days of planning and lots of fun with her peers.  We have all been the beneficiary of her speciality desserts during these festive events.

There have been many unusual occasions during her time at Carey, such as catering for a function at the rowing club on the Yarra where there was no kitchen on site and all the food had to be transported in on a truck. A slushy machine borrowed from a production sent student lunch orders on overload in the Donvale Tuckshop. Social Justice Day with students bringing in the largest containers they could find to put their rice in, and the introduction of a Fairy Floss Fun machine that had all the students on a high for the rest of the afternoon.

These days there are no paper bags in the Tuckshop with online ordering being the go, and Sharon has assistants to make her job easier. The one thing that hasn’t changed is Sharon's very special relationships with the students.  They love her sense of fun and genuine warmth, and it is not unusual to see her dressed up in decorations created by the children. She is always in for joining any fancy dress activities and general fun that the children are sharing. Sharon has not only kept the students well fed but has nurtured their spirits across many generations.  As they move through Donvale onto Kew the students always love to engage with her and catch up for a chat. This generous staff member has provided many happy memories for all who come her way. In writing this profile Sharon has made me aware that she is only one member of a team of hospitality workers who support our Carey Staff daily. Their hard work and amazing culinary skills across all our major events provide us with a rich and varied experience that makes each event memorable.

Source: Jeannette Jennings, 15 August 2023