Singing for her supper, accommodation and charity is an adventure Mel Yeates has embraced.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On this journey Mel is aiming to raise $100,000 for charities Beyond Blue and Love Your Sister.
“I’ve been humbled, the generosity of Australians is amazing,” Mel said.
“People are so giving, whether it’s a donation for the charities or a fuel card to help me get further around Australia or a meal, the support has been brilliant.
“I’ll phone ahead to a pub or caravan park and ask if it’s ok for me to busk outside their place in return for a meal or some accommodation and they have embraced it.”
Armed only with her car and a guitar, Mel is busking around Australia. She performed at the Kendall Meeting Place market last Thursday and her mother, Mandy (a Kendall local), is holding a charity garage sale on Saturday from 8am at 7 Batar Creek Road.
“I’m just shy of raising $40,000 so far and I’m hoping to hit that this weekend, there is just $450 to go,” Mel said on Thursday.
“I chose to support these charities because I had depression for years which started when I was in year nine. My best friend and another girl were killed on a camping trip when a tree fell across their tent.
“Beyond Blue wasn’t around at that time but I have spoken with them since and I think it’s important to let people with depression know they are not alone. It’s important to talk about feelings and start and conversation. It’s ok to feel sad and angry, but don’t keep your feelings inside, talk to someone.
“I am supporting Love your Sister which is a cancer charity. I watched actor Samuel Johnson in the Molly Meldrum series. He announced after the series that he was retiring from acting to work to raise $10 million for the Garvan Institute through Love Your Sister and I was inspired to think about what I can do to help. Samuel set up Love our Sister in support of his sister Connie who has terminal breast cancer. He unicycled around Australia and raised $1.4 million.”
Watch Mel’s video interview and performance below: