Margie Maccoll
As the name suggests Noosa’s new upmarket Opshop, Making Lives Matter, aims to spread the love to all who enter, delivering practical and emotional support to people in the Noosa community in need.
Former charity opshop manager Vedra Varagwanath teamed up with Jude McCourt after they identified a need in the community they believed wasn’t being met.
The Noosaville opshop is the first step in the realisation of a much larger vision of a community centre for people to access an array of services from counsellors to social workers to being a drop-in for a cup of tea and a chat, or a place to pick up essential items from the array of donated goods that are sold at reasonable prices, with proceeds invested in funding the services and initiatives.
Vedra said after seeing people in the community who were struggling and asking for help being forced to wait, with just a referral given, to see someone else, perhaps days later, it was decided something else was needed to show them that “Noosa has their back and they are loved”.
She said from its building on Venture Drive, the plan for Making Lives Matter is to complement its downstairs opshop with a second level filled with support people and initiatives such as self help groups, art therapy and children’s activities.
It’s important someone needing help can sit down and talk to a person and receive assistance, she said.
“People need to have human contact. There are a lot of people who are alone, who don’t have support. It’s an epidemic.
“When they come in they’ll be able to see a counsellor, have a cup of tea, get support, have people to guide them.”
“I want to have frozen food in the fridge for homeless and a place where people with domestic violence issues can be guided.”
Down the track the vision includes a safe space for people fleeing domestic violence.
Since opening in March the opshop has been overwhelmed by the response from the community from people wanting to help.
Professional people have offered their time and they have about 50 volunteers including Vedra’s partner Douglas Payne who has been picking up large items for the store.
Making Lives Matter provides a wide variety of quality pre-loved and vintage items including furnishings, textiles, clothing, jewellery, ceramics, electrical goods, and books.
“The community opshop has affordable prices. We present it in a high end manner to honour the people who walk in the door,” Vedra said.
“We are trying to make it a pleasant place to stop.
The charity is run on donations from the community. “We need their support,” Vedra said.
Making Lives Matter Community Opshop is at 4 Venture Drive, Noosaville. To donate or for more information phone 52388181, email admin@mlm.org.au or visit mlm.org.au
