Alex Dalland
Many Op Shop customers go into a store hoping to find a bargain. According to Pat Daley from the Salvation Army, sometimes they’ll find much more.
“Over the years we have found large amounts of cash, jewellery and other valuable items hidden in drawers and clothing which people have forgotten about,” Daley says. Daley has also seen some of the other kind of rare finds in Op Shops – like a prosthetic limb and a box of used dentures – both of which sold!
This Sunday marks the beginning of National Op Shop Week, raising awareness for the valuable services Op Shops provide in the local community. This year’s theme is Fashion With A Conscience.
“Fashion with a Conscience is about thinking twice about where you source your clothes,” Matt Davis, CEO of Salvos Stores says.
“Fashion is one of the most wasteful industries in the world, that’s why it’s so important to reuse, reinvent and recycle our clothing as often as we can.”
According to the National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations, there are more than 3000 charity op shops across Australia and their combined efforts divert more than 300,000 tonnes of clothing from landfill per year.
“Sourcing your wardrobe from a charity like Salvos Stores not only helps those less fortunate but our planet too,” Keen stylist and thrift shopper Faye De Lanty says, “Fashion with a Conscience is about being caring, mindful and thoughtful with your fashion dollar.”
National Op Shop Week will launch across Australia in Sydney’s Rozelle Red Cross Op Shop on Friday 19 August at 11:00am.
For more information on National Op Shop Week visit:
facebook.com/OpShopWeek/
