“The Church could not survive in its current form without the income from the Op Shop, and even I have only just started to realise how many people put in so much time here,” Op Shop Manager Gerry Struik told NOTA.

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“Once every four to six months, we hold a morning tea to thank our volunteers for the time they put into it; some of our 25 volunteers give up to ten hours per week, which is quite a commitment.”

Among the longest-serving volunteers are Wilma Munn, whose husband helped to build the Op Shop back in the 1990s, and Delma Wark, both of whom have put in more than 30 years of volunteering.

Apart from its weekly openings on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings, there are two big ‘Christmas’ sales per year, one in July and one in December, the proceeds for which all go back into the community.

“I am reminded of that Foo Fighters song, ‘Is someone getting the best of you?’, and I love how our volunteers give their best to others,” St Andrew’s Reverend Richard Goscombe told NOTA.

“It is incredibly sacrificial to be a volunteer, and reflects the way in which Jesus does that, giving us the chance to love and care for others.

“I am thrilled to acknowledge the volunteers, and the Op Shops in the Parish, including Tea Gardens, Bulahdelah, and Karuah, as are all increasingly called upon by those doing it tough.

“When times are tough, we just need a bit of encouragement, and Op Shops and their teams are about just that, encouragement to the community around them.”

These regular get-togethers let volunteers from various parts of the Op Shop operation meet each other, as some give their time in the shop itself, while others help with sorting, and some come in on different days it is open.

After Gerry’s and Reverend Richard’s kind words of appreciation, all volunteers present agreed that they love to come in, often seeing it as a day out of the house, and love to talk to the people who visit, and the delicious home-made sandwiches, cakes and desserts are a welcome means of gratitude, too.

“The things most valued in the community are those they can depend upon, our volunteers may never see the impact of what they do on the people who come here, but they should feel encouraged, affirmed and sustained,” Reverend Richard added.

By Thomas O’KEEFE