Arohanui Hospice Store – somebody’s trash is another’s treasure.

I’ve never been one for second hand/ vintage shops. I’m still not. BUT I do have a newfound appreciation for them. It’s so true that one persons trash is another’s treasure.

My Mum volunteers once a week at the Palmerston North Arohanui Hospice Store. All the workers are volunteers and the proceeds go to the upkeep of the hospice so it can remain free for terminally ill patients in the area.

One of the things I wanted to do while I was home was go do a shift with my Mum at the hospice store. I had no idea what I’d be doing and as an extra was just happy to do whatever they needed.

I spent my morning vacuuming dust out of the ridges in a mattress before graduating to tidying shelves and colour coding the clothes racks. Later on I cleaned up a huge cabinet that had been bought in and it sold immediately. Probs just my cleaning style that made it so attractive haha.

Mum mans the checkouts and really enjoys her time there. She loves meeting the customers and chatting with the other volunteers as well as having a look around the items in store when they are quiet.

There are many people that volunteer, from all walks of life. Mainly they are women and quite often have had some kind of interaction with the hospice.

It’s awesome to see people contribute and donate so much stuff to the store, not just personal items but businesses will also drop off unsold goods like shoes which can go a long way to helping someone who can’t afford a new pair usually.

Some people purchase the products to sell for a profit on trademe.co.nz (similar to ebay) but that’s fine, the hospice are happy with their sale prices and glad that it has sold.

If you’re ever in Palmerston North, pop in and have a look! It’s next to McDonalds on Rangitiki Street.

I’ll be cleaning out my room while I’m home so I can donate all my unused gear to the hospice 🙂

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