Rachael Currey’s Papercake business will donate all the proceeds from the sale of her R U OK? treat boxes and cookies to the organisers of the day which encourages people to have a conversation with someone who may be struggling with life.
And she is off to a great start - two big morning tea orders from Echuca manufacturing giant Kagome and St Joseph’s school kickstarting the campaign.
“Kagome has ordered $200 worth and I already have 20 or 30 orders for the treat boxes and cookie packs,” she said.
The bright yellow themed “check in” day has gathered momentum since the outbreak of COVID-19 as people have been forced to become more home-centric and face-to-face communication becomes a rarity.
Rachael’s business began out of good luck, more than good management, when she was helping her sister Kath at a market day.
“I was never really interested in baking, but one day we made the cup cakes for the market and they looked good,” Rachael said.
“We sold out in a couple of hours and it sort of clicked.”
The self-taught baker, who is a self confessed YouTube student, grew up in Moama and now operates her business from her Gooda Street home in Tongala.
She and her husband, Scott, along with 11-year-old daughter Georgia, have the challenging task of living with the aroma of her baking delights on a daily basis.
Her eldest daughter, Sarah, lives in Bendigo.
“She (Sarah) is probably the reason I’ve decided to go so hard at it (R U OK? Day) this year,” Rachael said.
In the last six months, Rachael's 20-year-old daughter has had two friends commit suicide.
“I just felt like it was more important than ever, so I am pushing it a bit harder this year,” Rachael said.
On the back of a huge Father’s Day, the promotion of Papercake’s products hasn’t been out of the blocks as quickly as Rachael would have wanted.
“I only started promoting them on Sunday evening, but they’ve been very well received,” she said.
“I am going to donate all my profits to the R U OK organisation. I’ve set up my own page to accept donations.
“We have two packs, one of which is a treat box which has cup cakes, doughnuts, cookies and yellow lollies. Everything is yellow in the box.
“We have all the different flavors, vanilla, chocolate and lollies of all varieties. That is $35.
“In the R U OK? cookie box, there are four small cookies, two large cookies and they all have R U OK? stamped on them.
“The smaller ones have things like ‘let’s talk’ and ‘are you sure’ stamped on them. They are $16 a pack.”
Rachael explained she had been involved in the R U OK? Day fundraising previously, but never at this level.
“I’ve done stuff for Kyabram P-12 before,” she said.
“I’ve done individual cookies, but this year it has stepped it up a notch.
“It will be a significant contribution to the R U OK? organisation.”
Rachael, who worked with a website design company prior to the transition into baking, said the enthusiasm for the R U OK? products was a sign of people realising how important the day was.
And if her Papercake business could do its bit to help, then she was more than willing to step up “to the plate”, so to speak.
Rachael can be contacted for orders on 0417 382 400 or at papercake.com.au, where you can also place an order for the R U OK? boxes.
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