TAURANGA SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SHOP – Andrea Callinan, Shop Manager

 Thank you for all the donations of items that we receive at the St Vincent de Paul shop in Tauranga.

Our team of volunteers work very hard picking up donations, delivering, recycling, minor repairing, sorting, cleaning, pricing, displaying our stock and serving customers. Our volunteers also prepare household items, linen, clothing etc and delivering furniture for those in need. I want to thank our volunteers for doing such a wonderful job and working so well as a team, all are willing and flexible often putting in extra hours, filling in for others or doing different jobs to keep everything running smoothly in the shop.

I really appreciate the hours everyone puts in, as I have found out the volunteers at the shop, who range in age form 12 to 91, all lead very busy lives. Volunteering at St Vincent de Paul shop is usually another thing they do in a very busy week. Some of our volunteers have been working at the shop for more than 20 years.

We are helping more and more families who are struggling in these difficult economic times and most come in just once for a help up which can set them right again. The money made in the shop also finances the special projects that are part of St Vincent de Paul – Majella: helping mothers-to-be in need; and FullsTop: providing support and nourishment with drinks and food to different areas of the city in the evenings. Also the Young Vinnies program where Ester has been working on projects at different schools. Thanks to all the donations and hard work by all the volunteers profits are up which means we can help more families in the community.

Karen Cusack works from the shop as Welfare Officer. Karen is now the first contact for people in need coming into the shop. She gives them an interview and assesses their needs and helps clients with budgets etc before passing this information with a recommendation to the volunteers who work in the Conferences.

Our shop is a very busy place. One lady who kindly donated some items last week said to me ‘In all the years I have been going to St Mary’s Church I have never been to the St Vincent de Paul shop and I never realised it was so big or busy.’

Our shop window is a great draw card with a wonderful new display each week. Our customer base is quite large with many people popping in from work at lunchtimes, people wanting something a little bit different and of course everyone wanting a bargain. We sell books, furniture, linen, clothing, collectables and antiques, electrical and bric-a-brac.

I also want to thank two businesses who donate on a regular basis to the St Vincent de Paul shop. 

Peter and Glennis Cleaver from the Mail House who help us out with our printing requirements; and Con O’Leary from Flooring Xtra with carpet mats and vinyl for the shop.

Please come in and visit our shop or come in and offer your services as a volunteer. We are always in need of more volunteers at our shop.