NO WASTE: Vinnies calls on ‘friend-quality’ donations

Unwanted Christmas gifts and friend-quality clothing and household goods are desperately sought by Vinnies.

Vinnies Gatton volunteers Rozi (front), Pauline, Jenny and Marlene. Photo: Ali Kuchel.

The Lockyer Valley isn’t immune to people facing hardship and needing support, according to Gatton Vinnies rep Louise Moore.

The St Vincent De Paul’s Society is calling for donations for its Gatton CBD shop in a bid to help people facing financial pressures and to help with emergency assistance.

But the volunteers have a strong message – if it’s not good enough to give to a friend, it’s not good enough to give to Vinnies.

Ms Moore estimates that 20 per cent of donations in the Lockyer Valley make it to the shop – the rest are dumped.

And dumping people’s stained, hole-ridden, and broken clothing and household items is a costly expense for the non-for-profit organisation.

“Vinnies has never needed so much support with Queenslander’s experiencing hardship due to unemployment, threat of eviction and increased risk of homelessness,” Ms Moore said.

“We’ve had broken and rusted whitegoods just dumped, which we have to dispose of, costing us money.

Vinnies Gatton volunteers Pauline, Jenny, Rozi and Marlene. Photo: Ali Kuchel

“That’s money we can’t give back to the community.”

After the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, Vinnies across Queensland are calling for unwanted Christmas gifts to be donated, along with any other household items in good condition.

In addition to Gatton’s main street shop, one-off items and items not necessarily suitable to the shop can be purchased from the warehouse in Burns St, Gatton.

On Saturdays from 9am to noon, Vinnie’s Gatton has a market day at its depot, where people can buy clothing for tasks such as farm work.

Ms Moore said shoppers can fill a Vinnies enviro bag for $3.

“It’s clothing not suitable to be sold at the shop, and one-off cups, plates and the like,” she said.

The Gatton Vinnies shop this year went under renovations, with the new CBD store opening in August.

Ms Moore said the organisation was desperately seeking volunteers for both the shop and depot.

“They don’t have to give us a whole day. At the warehouse, if they only want to do two to three hours, we are happy with what we can get,” she said.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Louise Moore via email at: [e-mail], or visit the shop on Railway Street.

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