Community
21 March, 2024
Op Shop surges past $900,000 milestone
THE Terang Community Op Shop has surpassed $900,000 in total donations made to the community.
The volunteer-run operation has been there to give back every step of the way since opening its doors at the Mudbrick Centre on Shadforth Street on December 9, 2009.
At the most recent meeting of operating body Terang Resources INC, the donation tally was confirmed to have reached $912,669.43 given to local schools, community groups, projects and more.
Terang Community Op Shop project manager Andrea Balcombe said the volunteers running day to day operations felt a great sense of pride in reaching the milestone.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s really satisfying to know that what we’re doing has put so much money back in to our local community,” she said.
“We’re flat out trying to reach the million.
“We knew from the beginning there was a need in this town for an op shop, and we were pretty confident it would do well.”
The milestone was reached with donations made this month, with Noorat Residents Association, Cooinda, Terang Returned and Services League sub-branch and the Terang Cemetery Committee all receiving funds.
In addition, the Terang Community Op Shop also made its annual $1000 donation to the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal in support of the local families who have or will need its care.
In February, the Terang Community Op Shop also made contributions to the Terang Rotary Club and the Terang Swimming Club.
In December last year, donations were made to Terang College, St Thomas Primary School, Terang Men’s Shed, Terang Riding for the Disabled, Western District Youth Camp, Terang and Mortlake Health Service and Western District Food Share.
Funds have been used for a wide variety of projects, from large-scale works to benefit the community or simply to support families, people experiencing financial hardship, those dealing with disability or unemployment, illness or domestic violence, or, as seen during the St Patrick’s Day bushfires, the wider community as it grapples with the devastation of natural disaster.
No matter the circumstances, the Terang Community Op Shop has offered a hand of support whenever that support was most needed.
Ms Balcombe said the million dollar milestone would have already been reached had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic had also spurred a change in the way people went about making purchases.
“It feels like a lot of people have an interest in recycling and repurposing whatever they have at home, I think because often they couldn’t get things,” she said.
“I feel we have a lot more people now shopping here for that reason; not because they need to financially, but because they want to repurpose and recycle everything.
“That part has been really good.
“We also have a lot of people who are travelling because they love op shops, and they travel the country side to call in to as many op shops as they can.”
Ms Balcombe said the Terang Community Op Shop was also on the lookout for any new volunteers, as some of the current volunteers planned a getaway during the winter months.
To express interest, visit the Terang Community Op Shop between 9am and 1pm Monday to Friday, or between 9am and 12noon Saturday.