All dressed up but will shortly have nowhere to go. Goodwill Life Linc store on Collingwood St will hang up its hat on 31 March, after five decades tailoring charitable funds, most notably for Life Linc, a Nelson Tasman counselling service.
Jean Aldridge has volunteered since it opened its doors in November 1974, and says the decision was made to shut up shop after its 13 volunteers felt it was time, and their hopes for more volunteers to step up had fallen short.
The building’s sale by its longtime owners, the Ching family, was also a factor.
When Jean was asked if they considered relocating to a different space, she said that was a possibility, but predicted higher rents weren’t quite the right fit.
The future of the building is currently unknown.
Jean says although the closure was sad, the relationships with customers she’d had for up to 20 years, and four generations of her family assisting at the store would be cherished.
“We’re disappointed that we’ve had to close, but you get to a stage in your life where you think, ‘we’ve done our share’,” she says.
“It’s going to be strange for a little while.”
She says the store was established by the now defunct St Lukes Church, which she was a member of, and the store was staffed by other volunteers from the church along with St John’s and Trinity Church members.
The Old St John’s Hall was where donated clothing items were washed and mended for elegant looks, and the store had been cash only, and largely with no phone to lower costs.
“The clothes are always clean, tidy and smell nice, and people comment on that, and they comment on our staff, so that’s a bonus,” she says.
“The quality now is far above what we were getting in those days and the prices haven’t really gone up very much more than when we started 50 years ago, people are not prepared to pay any more than up to $10.
“Younger people don’t come to op shops quite the same, because they can get it at other cheap shops that have new clothes, so it’s mainly middle-aged people that shop here, and young mums.”
Jean says in the store’s early years its raised funds were donated to charities chosen by the volunteers until settling on Life Linc, formerly Lifeline Nelson.
Life Linc operations manager Dawn Allan says in her 10 years with the organisation, the Goodwill store had donated an annual average of $20,000 which contributed to its $150k to $170k annual operating costs.
“Because of that donation, we’ve been allowed to keep our costs low for our clients,” she says.
“It will be a big loss to the organisation… potentially we will have to look at some fundraising ideas to fill that gap, but we’re just thankful that the shop has been there for 50 years.
“We’re saddened that it’s closing, but we also understand, the team of volunteers down there are absolutely amazing, and they’re not spring chickens anymore.”
A giveaway day will ensue if there is remaining stock at the time the store closes for good.
