Volunteers for love of ‘Everymans’

A trip to the shops for Adelaide-based couple Ben and Claudia Ridley can often run to $5000 and only keep them supplied for three days.

CAPTION: Ben and Claudia Ridley from Everyman’s Welfare Service operate the Everyman’s truck, providing refreshments and snacks to Australian Army soldiers during Exercise Diamond Run at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland. Story by Captain Tadek Markowski. Photo by Corporal Janet Pan.

That’s because they’re volunteers with Everyman’s, the charity that supports Australian soldiers with hot drinks and snacks during training activities, large-scale exercises and even overseas deployments.

Throughout July, Ben and Claudia crisscrossed the dusty roads of Shoalwater Bay Training Area in two “brew trucks” to satisfy the cravings of nearly 2000 ADF personnel.

To reach dispersed units taking part in 7 Bde’s Exercise Diamond Run, they were often up at 4am and dispensing morale-boosting refreshments until midnight.

The volunteer work is a labour of love for Ben. He traces its origin to a remote patrol base in Uruzgan Province in Afghanistan and his own military service.

“While I was in Afghanistan, I started reading the bible and it changed my life,” Ben said.

He was in the Australian Army for nearly 11 years, joining in 2004 and discharging in 2014. Most of that time he was with 8/9RAR.

“It was the best job I ever had. And I never imagined in a million years that I’d be doing Everyman’s,” he said.

“But, for me, I’m now motivated by love – love for God, love for my fellow man and my brothers in arms, and my country.

“And I wanted to give back something to the younger generations coming through, to look after their welfare.”

Claudia, who is from Brazil and travelled to Australia to study English for a Master’s degree, met Ben in Brisbane on week two of her visit, just before he left for Afghanistan. They have now been married 13 years.

The couple started operating the mobile canteens together three years ago, and prior to that Ben had been doing it on his own.

“Claudia came on board and it’s the best thing ever,” Ben said.

“She can talk to women a lot better than I can, and she brings a different energy. It’s really nice to have her around.”

The off-grid capable canteens are a huge hit with soldiers living on a diet of ration packs.

“Definitely the sausage rolls and the pies are their favourite,” Ben said.

“It’s something they can’t get themselves. The coffee machine is also popular, [but] it depends who you ask. The younger guys are into their energy drinks.

“But it never gets old seeing [their] faces light up when we pull into a position.”

Distance is no obstacle for this dynamic duo. Last year, they drove from Adelaide to Darwin in a military convoy to attend Exercise Talisman Sabre.

“The best part is making connections and friendships,” Claudia said.

“The worst part is not being able to shower every day. I’m OK for about two days, but after that I can get a bit moody.”

An ADF unit directly sponsors each Everyman’s. In the case of Ben and Claudia, support comes from 10/27 RSAR, where Ben began his military career as a reservist.

The money they receive from soldier donations goes back into restocking the trucks and keeping them on the road with the aid of a Defence-supplied fuel card.

“We’re completely volunteer-based; we don’t get paid. We both work part-time in Adelaide, and sometimes we’re out here for seven to eight weeks at a time,” Ben said.

“We just want to keep going and to continue [a] tradition that’s been going since WWII.”

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