Volunteering with Oxfam Ireland

A snapshot of the different stock available in Oxfam

One of the most difficult aspects of the Gold Gaisce Award is obviously the length of the challenge, and although I completed the first half of my Community Involvement volunteering with the Irish Cancer Society, I have since moved away from Dublin, and have started volunteering with Oxfam.

I previously volunteered with Oxfam for 2 years, but could not keep it up when college got busy. This was probably my first time to set foot in Oxfam since 2013, and much to my delight, the manager and some of the volunteers I used to work with are still there. 

Some of our lovely brand-new scarves!

What does volunteering for Oxfam involve?
When volunteering for a charity shop, there are the usual retail tasks: serving customers, putting new stock out the front of the shop, tidying up any clothes that have fallen. In the staff area at the back of the shop however, is where we sort through donations, which can be anything from books to bric-a-brac to clothes. We even got a donation of 7 selfie sticks the other day!

Since I started volunteering in June, I have been making posters for different promotions, sorting out and pricing donations, working on the till, and sorting out the jewellery. We usually work on one task until we take a break, then we might swap tasks.

Our book selection

Oxfam is great for recognising if a volunteer has a particular talent for something- the creative types are often given the task of putting together the window display, the musicians sort CDs, the bookish types sort out our books into the different genres. I myself seem to have taken on the tech role, updating the computer, writing email templates and creating posters. I think this is a great system, and gives every volunteer a sense of purpose there.

How can you help?
Oxfam almost always has special offers on- 3 accessories for €5, 3 pairs of sunglasses for €2, buy one summer dress, get the second one free...the list goes on. If you are a savvy clothes-shopper, remember that charity shops always are trying to get rid of summer stock in the month of August, so you will probably pick up some great deals!

Obviously charity shops are only sustained through regular donations, so if you are doing a big summer clear-out, please think of dropping your stuff into a charity shop, rather than throwing it away.

Thanks for reading :)