Volunteer Claire Williams and Vinnies area manager Cheryl Eldridge look over some of the quality clothing in Vinnies, Goulburn. Photo: John Thistleton.
Claire Williams had too much energy and momentum to stop working when she left the workforce. When she finished her career with the NSW Police Association in Sydney and came to Goulburn, she switched her skills.
Now she is part of a huge workforce comparable in size to the mining, manufacturing and agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors combined. Claire is among the one-in-10 working Australians employed by a charity. There are 60,000 of them across Australia.
A new report has found they are driving the nation’s wellbeing. They’re bringing people and communities closer together to support each other and help fix problems.
Australia’s not-for-profit sector enriches social cohesion, contributes substantially to our economy, and protects our democratic system according to a comprehensive report into the not-for-profit sector, initiated by the Australian Government.
Claire works for Vinnies’ op shop in Goulburn’s main street. She loves being surrounded by people just like her – retired from the workforce, yet busy as blazes in another ‘work’ setting. She likes her colleagues’ work ethic. They’re reliable and keen to have a go, too.
They all work for a retailer in Goulburn humming with people and sales, while turning over a small mountain of donated clothes that come through the doors every day. Up to their elbows sorting through and attaching prices to thousands and thousands of shirts and pants and suits and ties, old records, CDs, glassware and artwork, they’re keenly aware of the red-hot competition from other charity-run op shops in Goulburn, just like them.
“If we’re not competitive we would be dead in the water,” says Claire, who has been with Vinnies for almost 15 years.
“Canberra (the charity’s head office for the Canberra-Goulburn diocese) gives a ballpark figure, and after working here for many years, you know what they should be,” Claire said.
“If you have a good cotton or linen shirt it is slightly more in price than a polyester shirt would be,” she said. “Also the brand names, some brands are made beautifully, others are cheaper brands and are sold at a much cheaper price.”
Claire is either behind the counter serving customers at Vinnies, or checking changerooms are clear of clothes and are tidy, or keeping display racks in order with correct sizing.
Customers are looking for everyday clothing. “We get a few people who used to come in from the Lieder Theatre and the Performing Arts Centre across the road, but it’s mainly shoppers like you and me,” Claire said. “There are a lot of beautiful clothes that do come in; they may have been worn only a couple of times. They are unique; they are not like one of 20 or 30 items all the same.
“This is for people who are going somewhere and don’t want to pay a fortune for a new outfit,” she said. “Have a look at Vinnies or Salvos and see if we can get a nice-looking outfit for a bargain.”
Donated clothing not up to standard goes in a B-grade section and is later collected by a subcontractor. Sold on weight, a lot once went to Africa; some go to various street markets.
Claire likes mixing with other people and filling a vacuum that retirement had threatened to create.
“You can meet some characters coming in off the street,” she said with a chuckle. “It is really quite colourful when you are down in the front (retail) section,” she said. “Some people are very generous, extremely generous.”
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In her time with Vinnies, she has seen a caravan and utility truck donated and large amounts written out on cheques for the charity. Like the donors of clothes, they’re funding welfare services, accommodation for the homeless and food and shelter for people in need.
Trouble is, volunteering numbers have been dropping, which is a major challenge for charities such as Vinnies says the St Vincent de Paul Society’s national president, Mark Gaetani.
A milestone report by the Blueprint Expert Reference Group has 18 key initiatives aimed at helping the not-for-profit sector’s digital and data capabilities, building its diversity and protecting its right to advocate to strengthen and future-proof the sector.
‘‘The report sees this as a 10-year journey, but I think we could achieve significant progress in less time if we all set our minds to it,” Mr Gaetani said.
Claire and her colleagues in Goulburn would welcome anyone who wants to make a contribution and experience a fresh sense of accomplishment.
Original Article published by John Thistleton on About Regional.
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