ST PETER’S Op Shop in Leongatha contributes to many valuable causes, its team of volunteers happy to help others but frustrated by those who treat the premises as a dumping ground for their waste.
Volunteers recently arrived on a Monday morning to discover a large load of unclean items, including cookware and clothes, outside the shop, something that happens frequently.
“That adds to your workload,” assistant manager Coral Johnston said of the burden placed on the volunteer staff who give their time to benefit others through the store’s fundraising.
“Morale is so good when you’re sorting clean things,” she said, contrasting that with the unpleasant task of dealing with people’s dumped rubbish.
A volunteer with a trailer sometimes makes multiple trips during the week to a council transfer station to dispose of worthless items left outside the shop.
Dumping has become a serious issue over the last decade or so.
That may be partially due to the costly nature of hard waste disposal through transfer stations or by booking a yearly council collection from your nature strip.
For the latter, South Gippsland Shire Council charges $157, including GST, with pension card holders eligible to receive a discounted rate of $56, including GST.
However, many items dumped at the store are able to be disposed of in a normal domestic rubbish bin for kerbside collection.
While appreciative of those who donate items suitable for sale, Coral stressed the need to do so by visiting the store when it is open.
“Things that are left in the night, if they’re any good they’re pinched, or the bags are gone through and they just spread it all over the yard,” she said.
Currently, St Peter’s Op Shop isn’t taking donations due to the high volume of stock it already has.
Locally, money raised through the shop contributes towards the weekly community lunches at St Peter’s church.
“We’ve been giving donations to Mirboo North since their disaster,” Coral said, with St Mary’s Church there determining what the funds are most needed for.
The shop has previously contributed to the purchase of instruments for junior members of the South Gippsland Shire Brass Band.
“We support a number of the missions, such as the Seafarers Mission,” Coral said.
Donations also go towards suicide prevention initiatives, as well as contributing to the Fred Hollows Foundation, Mercy Ships, and organisations such as Compassionate Friends, which supports those who have lost a child.
