DO YOU have a couple of hours of your time on a regular basis to devote to assisting a local organisation that is committed to helping those in the community who may be down on their luck, or in need of an economic lift in today’s busy lifestyle?
Bluey’s Thrift Shop comes under the Uniting Church banner and is in Eighth Avenue, Home Hill.
It provides an outlet for local residents to find suitable clothing or other daily items for their particular needs at a very reasonable cost, with proceeds from their sales being donated to local charities, including the Burdekin Community Association or the School Chaplains, both of whom are also devoted to assisting those in need in the local area.
And everyone who provides their services at Blueys, whenever they are available, are volunteers – no one is paid no matter how many hours they devote to the Thrift Shop each week.
However, to ensure that Bluey’s can continue to maintain their usual valuable service to the local community, they have put out a call for more volunteers to put their hands up to assist whenever they have spare hours available.
President for the past four years, Margaret Thorne said they had a number of people who volunteered in various ways.
“Dave McDonald is always available to do any work around the shop that is required,” she said, “while there are people who volunteer their hours as part of the Federal Government’s New Start Program.”
Mrs Thorne said they were able to raise their income from $18,000 to $21,000 per year during her term of office and they had donated a total of $10,000 to the School Chaplains, the Burdekin Community Association and to the Brisbane Flood Appeal.
Blueys Thrift Shop is open to the public for four hours daily during weekdays, from 8.30am to 12.30pm and from 8am to 11am on Saturdays.
“People volunteer whatever hours they can give,” Mrs Thorne commented “and they do not have to be young, they can be of any age.”
Mrs Thorne has relinquished her leadership role with Blueys to take on another position with the Uniting Church in the Burdekin District.
Anyone who would like to offer their services as a volunteer at Blueys for any length of time should contact Margaret Thorne on 0459 365 424.
