By Eleanor Wilson
The Pakenham Op Shop is celebrating a record year of sales, distributing $140,000 to community organisations within Cardinia Shire.
Pakenham Op Shop secretary Bev Burley said she was “thrilled to bits” with the total, which is up on the $85,000 raised by the charity shop last year.
The funds will be distributed to over 40 local organisations, including 19 fire brigades, wildlife shelters, men’s sheds and emergency relief charities.
“We’re most grateful to the people who donate goods and particularly to our regulars who are always coming to the shop to see what we have available,” Mrs Burley said.
“We certainly do thank them because without them we’d be nothing, without donations we’d have nothing to sell and there’s no point having a shop full of stuff if you have no customers, it’s a complete circle.”
Despite a successful year on the books, the store and its volunteers, many of whom are in their 80s, continues to be plagued by opportunistic litterbugs, who use the op shop as a dumping ground for rubbish.
“Just yesterday we had soiled nappies, soiled clothing, household garbage, food waste, packaging, cardboard boxes,” Mrs Burley said.
She said she felt the dumping was an insult to the hardworking volunteers of the shop.
“Treat us with respect, what we’re doing we’re doing because we want and want to do something for the community, but don’t insult us with the rubbish.”
