Penny Stephens is a West Footscray resident doing A Little Good for a lot of people. She talks to Stella Tzobanakis
How long have you been living in West Footscray?
Three years. We were living in West Melbourne before.
Why did you choose to live here?
We needed more space because we were having another child and my husband had lived in the west before. I needed a bit of convincing as I was a bit of an eastern suburbs girl. I’m very glad that he did convince me as it’s been a very good move for us. There’s a real community here in West Footscray and it’s close to the city. It’s a great location.
And you have even made West Footscray your business base?
Yes. I started A Little Good as a home-based social enterprise business to provide a channel to market small business and entrepreneurs in the developing world. We’re part of the fair trade and ethically-made movement.
What is your favourite thing about this suburb?
It’s the community feel. My eldest goes to the local school here … going there and already knowing so many people is just wonderful. Like I said, I know it’s a bit of a cliché but there really is a great sense of community here.
Where do you like to go for a coffee and why?
We go to Pod @ Post Industrial Design [on Barkly Street in West Footscray] because they do great food and have great service.
And the best place to shop?
We used to go to Little Saigon until that burnt down. Now we go to the Footscray Market because it’s noisy and colourful, and it’s good value – you can get the most weird and interesting things there.
