LOXCARE volunteers have recommenced work at Arthur’s Bazaar and the Len’s Shed after the Federal Government eased restrictions last week.
The not-for-profit, which had been closed since late March, reopened its doors last Thursday, much to the delight of Loxcare co-ordinator Beverly Scarfe.
Ms Scarfe said the lockdown period had not only impacted the organisation’s revenue, but its volunteers, as they were not able to work or socialise with each other.
“Having our second-hand store closed meant that we had no revenue helping us with our community service,” she said.
“On top of the financial side of it, we had a connection side really.
“We have over 50 volunteers (who) love coming here, working together and having that social interaction.
“For them, it’s something to look forward to each day or week, and they just work really well together.
“There’s a lot of friendships here that have been formed, and so some of those (volunteers) said it was a good thing to get some stuff done around home, but they were looking for that social outlet.”
Volunteers were asked to stay home when Prime Minister Scott Morrison introduced COVID-19 restrictions.
Ms Scarfe said the organisation was slowly bringing those volunteers who were not vulnerable to the virus back, and it was working hard to keep them safe.
“We have asked people to stay out at home, especially those in the vulnerable category – (those) over 70 and people with chronic or immunosuppressed conditions,” she said.
“Some of those 70 year olds are quite spritely and they don’t want to stay at home, so we’re using our digression to invite back volunteers that we know are not vulnerable to the disease. Then we are doing our best to keep them safe while they’re here with PPE and sanitiser, and are reminding them of all the things they need to do to keep safe.”
While Ms Scarfe said she was happy to see the organisation’s outlets re-open, she said it would not be in full capacity.
Loxcare has asked the public to hold off on donations for now and to follow health guidelines while in store.
“We have just been following the health guidelines for COVID-19 by making sure we have hand sanitiser, that people are spacing, and signs to say ‘if you are unwell, please do not enter’,” she said.
“We’re not taking donations yet – it will be another week or two, (as) we have enough to deal with at the moment.
“We have a lot of stored items that haven’t gone out on the shelves yet, so all of that needs to be sorted.”
However, if people still want to help the organisation, Ms Scarfe said members of the community are more than welcome to volunteer as well.
Loxcare relies heavily on voluntary support for human and financial resources, and Ms Scarfe said it is community contribution that helps the organisation provide its service.
“In my time here, I’ve tried to raise the profile of Loxcare because we are really a one-stop shop for people who need help or people who need to purchase items at a reduced price,” she said.
“I noticed before COVID-19 that people were really struggling on Centrelink payments, especially Newstart, and they were finding it hard to pay all those bills to run a household.
“We were getting people in who had just run out of food before their next payment was due, so it’s a really good safety net for the community…and anything people are able to give us, we are more than happy to receive and make use of it for somebody who needs it.”