As Endeavour Foundation celebrates 75 years, Denise White shares how support, connection, and community helped her sister Sue thrive.
For Denise White, growing up alongside her older sister Sue shaped much of her life.
Sue, who had an intellectual disability, began accessing support through Endeavour Foundation in the early 1960s, when opportunities for people with disability were far more limited than they are today.
At the time, many families carried most of the responsibility on their own, with fewer support services, less community understanding, and limited opportunities for people with disability to participate in everyday life.
“We did everything for her,” Denise said.
As children, Denise and her siblings often spent weekends volunteering alongside their parents at Endeavour Foundation.
They helped maintain the grounds, supported community activities, and became part of a growing network of families working together to create better opportunities for people with disability.
Over the years, Denise remained closely connected to Endeavour Foundation. While she later volunteered through the Gold Coast Local Area Committee after retiring in 2014, it was Sue's journey through Endeavour Foundation services that left the greatest impression on her.
Denise says she saw a significant change in Sue after she began attending Endeavour Foundation's Dakara Drive service in Southport, which provided day programs, skill-building opportunities, and social connection for people with disability.
“This new person grew, it was so beautiful to see,” Denise said.
She remembers noticing small but important changes in Sue's independence over time.
For years, Denise says her family did almost everything for Sue at home. Through the support, encouragement, and learning opportunities provided through Endeavour Foundation, Sue began developing practical everyday skills for herself.
“Putting washing in the washing machine, packing her own lunch, there were so many things that she had learned,” Denise said.
“She was given that time to learn and somebody was teaching her.”
Alongside building independence, Denise says Sue also became far more socially connected.
“She had our family at home, but the Endeavour family at Dakara was what she needed,” Denise said.
Sue regularly participated in social activities and programs run through Endeavour Foundation, including a Toastmasters program designed to help people with intellectual disability build confidence, communication skills, and social connections.
Denise says seeing her sister welcomed into the community and recognised by others became one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.
“I’d be out with Sue and people would come up and say, ‘Hi Susanne, how are you?’” she said.
“They’d say, ‘She’s always smiling and always so happy, your sister is just the best!’”
Looking back, Denise says one of the biggest changes over the decades has been how much more visible and accepted people with disability are within the community.
She remembers people staring when she and Sue were out together as children because disability was far less understood at the time.
“People would stare and that was only because they didn’t understand,” Denise said.
Today, she believes that has changed significantly because people with disability are more involved in workplaces, community programs, social activities, and everyday life.
“You can walk out and take people with disability anywhere now and people don’t stare like they used to,” she said.
“I think that’s because everyone’s involved in the community.”
For Denise, organisations like Endeavour Foundation have played an important role in creating those opportunities for participation and inclusion over the past 75 years.
She believes being seen, included, and accepted within the community helped people like Sue build confidence, friendships, and stronger social connections.
“She loved going out and being part of the community,” Denise said.
“That’s what really helped her blossom into the wonderful person she was.”
Alongside supporting her sister Sue, Denise also became heavily involved in Endeavour Foundation’s Local Area Committee on the Gold Coast.
Through the committee, Denise helped organise social events, fundraising activities, and community outings for people supported by Endeavour Foundation and their families.
That included theatre nights, boat cruises along the Tweed River, concerts, and community gatherings designed to help people stay socially connected and involved.
Denise was also involved in advocating for practical improvements across services, including raising concerns around building maintenance and safety upgrades near Endeavour Foundation work sites.
While the way people share their feedback and experiences has changed over the years, Denise believes the importance of listening to people with disability and their families remains just as strong today.
She says ensuring people have opportunities to share their perspectives, advocate for themselves, and help shape the supports they receive continues to play an important role in building inclusive communities.
“Those events gave people something to look forward to and a chance to socialise together,” she said.
“You could see how much those outings and events meant to people.”
Even later in Sue’s life, Denise continued hearing from people about the positive impact her sister had on those around her.
During Sue’s final weeks in hospice care, Denise says nurses regularly spoke about how kind and gentle she was.
“They used to say, ‘She’s the most beautiful girl,’” Denise said.
After Sue passed away, members of the community continued sharing memories about her warmth and cheerful nature.
“They’d say, ‘We miss your Sue. We miss her cheerfulness,’” Denise said.
As Endeavour Foundation celebrates 75 years, Denise believes stories like Sue’s reflect how much progress has been made in helping people with disability become more connected, included, and valued within the community.
For Denise, the most important thing is ensuring people with disability continue to feel accepted and supported to be themselves.
“They’re loving and they’re kind,” she said.
“They just need someone to show they’re loved, wanted, and important.”
To learn more about how Endeavour Foundation supports people with disability to build independence, connection, and inclusion in their communities, explore more stories from our 75th anniversary celebrations.