ST Vincent de Paul Society NSW will be joining forces with other charitable organisations to participate in the fifth annual National Op Shop Week running from August 21 to 27.
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The week will be a celebration of vintage fashion, amazing op shop bargains and the charity that underpins Vinnies shops.
“Our shops really are the well-loved face of Vinnies and are run by dedicated volunteers and employees. We offer pre-loved affordable clothing, furniture, books, homeware and bric-a-brac,” says Jack de Groot, CEO St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.
National Op Shop Week is the brainchild of Jon Dee and DoSomething, a charity which aims to make it easier for people to get involved in community volunteering.
Fran Kempers has been volunteering at Vinnies in Wingham for a marathon 32 years.”It’s run like a big family,” she said.
“I’ve made lots of friends from volunteering here and they come from all different walks of life – teachers, farmers and business people, for instance.”
Fran says that people love op shopping, some because they need to shop their for financial reasons, and others because they love the thrill of finding something different, finding vintage treasures, or finding bargains.
“I’m an op shop queen,” said Wingham local Shelley McClure.
“I try to avoid sweatshop made clothing, so coming here I’m opting out of the consumer cycle. And I love a bargain!”
Costa Georgiadis from ABC TV’s Gardening Australia is the ambassador this year. The beloved presenter and sustainability advocate will be given a sophisticated makeover using a fearless beard tamer and ‘Costa-ffective’ op shop clothing.
Denis Walsh, President St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, said that Vinnies relied upon the shops to fund the services and programs it delivers to those experiencing disadvantage and homelessness across NSW.
“We hope that National Op Shop Week will raise public awareness about the importance of donating good quality items to charity stores as well as reminding people that by shopping at Vinnies, you are also supporting people in the local community doing it tough.”
Vinnies will be running a #vinniesfavouritethings Instagram photo competition during National Op Shop Week. This is the opportunity for Vinnies shoppers to share images of a few of their favourite things. There will be a $50 Vinnies voucher up for grabs for the most creative entry every day during the Week.