Just like Cancer Wellness Support, Josophan’s Fine Chocolates is proudly celebrating 20 years of serving the Blue Mountains community. For this piece, we spoke with founder and owner Jodie Van Der Velden about her business journey, community values, and long-standing support of Cancer Wellness Support.
Running a business in the Blue Mountains means embracing the rhythms of tourism and nature, from the highs of peak seasons to the lows of COVID-19 and bushfires.
For Jodie, what stands out most is the way the community comes together. She says “There’s a true community spirit here. We support each other through thick and thin, whether it be through local fundraising, attending events, or simply showing up for one another. That’s the real magic of the Blue Mountains community”.
Over the past two decades, Josophan’s Fine Chocolates has become deeply intertwined with Cancer Wellness Support, witnessing the life-changing impact the organisation has had on people and families living with cancer.
Jodie recalls the legacy of Robyn Yates OAM, the founder of Cancer Wellness Support, saying: “Robyn was an extraordinary woman who built something powerful from the ground up. The team today has carried that torch, expanding the reach and impact beyond what anyone could have imagined.”
A lifelong believer in giving back, through Josophan’s, Jodie has supported many local not-for-profits, charities and schools in the local community over the last 20 years, with Cancer Wellness Support having always held a special place in her heart.
Over the years, Jodie has been a regular supporter of the annual fundraising dinners hosted by Bygone Beautys, as well as consistently donating beautiful handmade chocolates and hampers for raffles and auctions.
As part of the Arty Bra Project, Josophan’s Chocolates went above and beyond, crafting an elaborately detailed chocolate bra the first year, and then a chocolate corset, shoes, pillow, and even a man’s torso strewn with a tie made of chocolate in subsequent years – all auctioned to raise vital funds for affordable and accessible cancer care.
On a personal level, following a downsize and house move, Jodie chose to donate her furniture and household items to the Cancer Wellness Support Op Shops, knowing that every item sold would help fund therapies and support services.
When asked what brings her the most joy in being part of the Cancer Wellness Support community, Jodie says “It’s the personal stories. I love hearing from clients and carers about how these services have changed their lives, and seeing how both wellness centres provide warmth and peace during some of life’s hardest moments”.
She takes pride in directing visitors and locals to the homely centres and has been thrilled to watch the Cancer Wellness Support grow into Penrith and the Hawkesbury. Jodie says “The fact that it has been self-funded all this time, and has remained agile and responsive to the needs of the local community is just incredible.”
As part of the upcoming Emerald Dinner on 20 June 2025, Jodie is once again lending her talents, this time in the form of a show-stopping celebration cake. She’s donating a Mexican Chocolate Cake, featuring rich, melted fair trade Belgian chocolate (don’t worry – no spice!), covered in a luscious dark chocolate ganache, and finished with a white chocolate disc featuring a cocoa butter transfer of the Cancer Wellness Support logo.
Jodie says “We’re really looking forward to sharing this cake with guests on the night. It’s a celebration of everything we’ve achieved together over the past 20 years.”
Here’s to 20 more years of kindness, creativity, and more shared milestones between Josophan’s Chocolates and Cancer Wellness Support.
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