Every bell rings for belonging at this local community hub
Most mornings, a bell rings out on Gloucester Street in Taradale. It signals our PSEC Charity Shop opening and makes people smile. “I thought, here’s a bell. I’m going to go and bring some joy to the community,” says Shop Manager Ruth Pearson-Vella. “People laugh, some are shocked, the local police seem to like it, we won’t stop ringing until locals having their cup of coffee wave.”
Inside, the shop’s always bustling. It’s full of life and volunteers, shoppers and staff find friendship here. Ruth sees herself as a facilitator who serves others. “It’s a safe place, isn’t it? I see myself as a person who helps scaffold people’s skills and see their self-esteem build up from that. It’s just a rewarding opportunity, and a privilege to be in it.”
The shop’s a magnet, a place that keeps people together. Retirees knit at home and donate their creations, “they’re not able to physically go out and volunteer, so they do their knitting at home and then come and donate it to us, and they often buy the wool from us as well.” A local regularly pops in for fabric to make costumes for her dance group. Customers visit to get ready for theme parties or weddings, and Ruth and her team help them find just the right outfit, “we just vibe off of it.”
One customer was uncertain about a dress and was surrounded by a huddle of volunteers offering encouragement. “That makes that person feel very special,” Ruth says. “That customer service that we give, it’s just a real treat to do that for people.”
Every opportunity we have to change someone’s view is an advocacy role and this team use everyday interactions to model inclusive language and challenge assumptions. The shop is welcoming for volunteers, “a customer noticed how well we were supporting people with diverse needs. She just said it’s such a lovely atmosphere. It’s like a little key that unlocks you, you think I can actually go out in the world and there’s a place for me.”
PSEC volunteers say that our shops help them feel connected. “It keeps me busy and makes me feel that I am making a positive contribution to society.” Another said, “I feel like I am giving my help and support back to the community for all the blessings that I have in my life.” Ruth adds, “They’re enjoying it, so they want to invite their friends. The group we’ve got is incredibly supportive. We all know who everyone’s partner is, how everyone’s children are. We always embarrass each other in the shop by coming out and singing happy birthday and the customers join in.”
Ruth’s heart for others comes from her outlook and own experiences. She’s proud of the transformations she often sees, “a volunteer arrived with a lot of challenges, including confidence and anxiety and now they’ve had a child, have a beautiful partner, they drive, and have just finished studying. I’m so, so proud of them.”
“I believe that every person has something to do in this world, and every person can make a difference no matter who you are and whatever your abilities are.” – Ruth
Our shops are also sustainability hubs, selling goods that can be re-used and kept out of landfill. Anything that can’t be sold is offered to Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) migrant workers to choose items to ship home, or is donated to other charities, or turned into rags. Historical items have been donated to museums to preserve history. Ruth’s passion for repurposed fashion extends to teaching local fashion design students. Students visit the shop to buy quilts and fabric for recycling into Kimonos.
“When we put a value on something, it changes how someone perceives that person or thing, we value it, we value you.” – Ruth.
Some donations carry emotional weight. “People bring us their precious objects, their treasures that they know their children don’t want. We spend time with that person. We talk to them. I say, tell me about it and tell them we’ll make sure that we find a good home for it.” One of the coolest donations Ruth remembers was a 1800s family Bible with a hand-cut wedding invitation inside with a record of the whole family’s births, marriages, and deaths. “We reunited it with the family, and they just happened to be working on their history then!”
“I love selling, it’s in my blood. I really enjoy the enterprising side of things, and I enjoy nutting out how we can make this retail business increase so we can contribute more to what we’re doing for PSEC services.”
You’ve got a lot to give. Whether you visit to shop, donate or volunteer, this is a place for you to belong with opportunities to give back.
Visit a PSEC Charity Shop on the corner of Gloucester and White Street, Taradale, or 14 Joll Road, Havelock North.
To find out more or join us as a volunteer, click here, email volunteer@psec.org.nz or call 0800 002 953.
