St Mary’s Op Shop in Bairnsdale is calling for greater community respect after a rise in theft, vandalism and illegal dumping at the rear of the store in recent months.
The op shop, which relies heavily on donated goods from the local community, says repeated break-ins involving donation bins, along with damage to locks and security systems, has become increasingly frustrating for volunteers and staff.
Managerial staff said volunteers are regularly arriving to find rubbish scattered around the premises, forcing them to spend valuable time cleaning up and restoring security instead of focusing on the store’s charitable work.
The op shop accepts donated items which are sorted, priced and resold, with proceeds returned to the community to support people in need.
However, the situation has worsened with an increase in people dumping unusable items and household rubbish outside the store. One recent incident included paperwork, family photographs and bank statements left at the site, with names and addresses clearly visible. The matter was reported to police.
“It’s incredibly disheartening dealing with this theft, ongoing damage and dumping of rubbish,” the manager said.
“Volunteers are bearing the brunt of the issue, often arriving to messes that need to be cleaned up and disposed of.”
The store is encouraging residents to donate only during opening hours to help reduce the problem and ensure items can be processed appropriately.
St Mary’s Op Shop is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.30pm, with resalable donations accepted during those times.
