A Tale of 2 Op-Shops

A tale of Two Op-Shops     by an observer

I’m relatively new to Barraba, so I may be speaking out of turn.  My name is not important, my perspective, I hope is useful.

Barraba has not a dearth of services - to have one of anything is more than the Tamworth Regional Council feels we deserve.  I received a letter from Council a month or so back replying to a complaint, basically saying, “You cost us more than we get, so get lost.”  So, basically we are on our own.

We find ourselves in the unusual position of having two op-shops.  Op-shops being a general sign of low economic activity and families with general difficulty putting food on the table.   We have two. So I’m not sure what that says about the financial health of Barraba.

The recently opened community op-shop is called “Opportunity Knocks”.  An initiative of a few civic minded women who saw what they believed was a need and are in the process of fulfilling it.  A shop and meeting place where donations are recycled back to the community at prices that are give-away and where all profits are channelled to the Barraba citizen’s committee to use for the benefit of the community. No one at the op-shop receives a salary. Anyone in need is helped directly.

The alternative is Vinnie’s - the Barraba flagship of the op-shop world - has been around for a long time. As St. Vinnie’s it has been a stalwart of country towns across Australia - a charity that everyone knows for cheap clothing and goods, and good works.

St. Vinnie’s changed to “Vinnie’s”, to many a mistake breaking from the “brand” and its reason for existing.  The secularisation of society didn’t need the change.  The general word around town seems to be that Vinnie’s no longer is interested in helping at the grass roots level - they have gone corporate. 

They have just appointed a new CEO - and changed their policies. No longer cheap as chips for the people who need it - Vinnie’s now prices items that were $4 and $8, now to $20 and $40 - with the internal explanation that now they are going to be profitable and those profits - the ones left over after paying the executive staff - will be distributed to the poor and needy.  We all know how that works.

Both op-shops work with volunteers - both have a charitable mission statement.  One has everyone at the same level and all profits going to the cause - the other has working volunteers, working for nothing, so that the executives in the big city offices can be paid and if there is anything left it goes to a good cause. As with most charities that become professionally managed the first “good cause” is executive salaries and promotion.

I’m surprised that there are still people who will voluntarily work for nothing to benefit an executive office. Now, if was up to me I’d donate and support the community resource - the one that helps a struggling community directly - the one that knows the people.  But hey, I’m new, so what would I know?