THE EXTENSIVELY refurbished Vinnies shop in Belgrave St, West Kempsey, will open its doors for trading on Monday, with an official opening to be conducted the following morning.
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The shop closed several months ago for an upgrading that has included improved access, better lighting and more display space for stock.
“This has resulted in a more enjoyable shopping experience and a better working environment for shop staff, both on customer service and back-of-house,” said Michael Timbrell, St Vincent de Paul Society’s North Coast executive officer.
“All of the shop’s staff are volunteers from the local community, and we are so grateful they retained their loyalty to us during the closure period, and are now returning to help out. We really do thank them for their ongoing support.”
The Kempsey shop is one of 28 operated by Vinnies on the North Coast, between Tweed Heads and Laurieton. A new shop was opened in Bellingen’s main street recently and is proving a great success.
The refurbished Kempsey shop has been stocked with a wide range of quality recycled clothing and household items at bargain prices, Mr Timbrell said.
“The original Kempsey shop was very popular with locals and visitors, and we’re expecting the new shop to be well patronised. It looks great, and is a testament to all the Vinnies staff who coordinated the upgrade as well as the local tradies who carried out the work.”
In line with a Vinnies regional policy, plastic bags will not be offered to shoppers. People are asked to bring their own bags, or to purchase one of the Vinnies-branded reusable cloth bags.
Like the other items sold in the shop, the proceeds from these bags will be used to support St Vincent de Paul Society’s community work with people in need.
“All the money raised through Vinnies shops is used to help local households doing it tough,” Mr Timbrell said.
“The society has a range of support services, including the provision of food and pharmacy vouchers, breakfast programs for schools in areas of need, and assistance with emergency accommodation for people with housing issues.
“Vinnies has a long and proud history of running on the strength of volunteers, and we are always on the lookout for more locals to assist us. Not only are they helping us serve the community but volunteering offers great opportunities for socialising and having a lot of fun.”
