Our op-shop has been running for over 30 years and enables us to offer quality clothes and wares blessing our wider community and helping us fund a variety of different outreaches and ministries.
Judy Blechynden is the coordinator and has been in this role for nearly a decade. Judy looks after a team of approximately 25 volunteers that run the shop successfully. Judy says her “vital vollies” do a fantastic job and each share equal duties and responsibilities. All their hard work generates funds which St Nics distribute to support our outreach programs, both local and further afield.
The shop is open each weekday and also Saturday mornings. 2 or 3 volunteers are there at any given time.
It takes a lot to keep the Op-Shop always looking presentable and well-stocked. Only quality items are offered for sale and the prices reflect that we are a charity whose main aim is to provide for the less fortunate – as well as astute buyers who can spot a bargain.
Excess clothes are donated to the Philippines and East Timor for distribution amongst the needy and surplus or poor quality clothing is sent to 3rd World countries by a charitable organisation whereby the material is stripped into rags, then bought back to Australia and sold to retailers.
Our Op-Shop also helps our larger Bunbury community by donating clothes to the Shoe-String Café for distribution amongst their clients, and visiting Sea Farers to our shores benefit from our donations of books and seasonal clothing for their brief stays here.
Fellowship and social interactions with each other are an integral part of making the op-shop a great place to spend time, either as a volunteer or as a browser and we hope continues to provide a blessing to our wider community.