Volunteering in a Charity Shop- 10 months on

Since Christmas, I have got to know how the Irish Cancer Society shop works in much greater detail. For every donation we get, we have to figure out whether or not the item is ok to sell, and if so, we have to judge the quality (or brand) and put a price on it, something I am much more experienced at now. I’ve also come to realise how many businesses are involved with, and make donations to the Irish Cancer Society, like Tesco for example. When people rip one pair of socks/tights/underpants etc, out of a pack of three, Tesco can no longer sell them, and the item they have taken obviously isn't individually security tagged, so they just steal it. On the plus side, it's great for us, because all the clothes are brand new!

Inside the shop

I have met so many new volunteers over the last few months. We get a lot of student and international volunteers, some doing work experience, some trying to better their English. Some of our volunteers are doing internship placements with us, and for many it is their first time to work. Everyone has a different story, and it is really interesting that every few weeks, there is a new fellow volunteer to meet. 

Every so often I update the shop’s Facebook page with some interesting-looking item in store, and there has been more engagement with the page lately, but it is hard to keep it up to date as I am only in there once a week. The manager is very grateful for the page, though, and also asked me to design summer-themed posters and leaflets for an event in the shop. I sent my design into Reads in Stillorgan and they hand-delivered the finished product, much to the manager’s delight, and the event went really well.

In many ways, a charity shop is a difficult place to work. If we don’t get donations, there’s nothing to sell, so there are no customers. When a customer really wants something, they will often try to haggle over the price, even though all the funds are going to charity. Security is difficult because there is no way to identify an item donated to our shop once the tag has been removed, so for some, this becomes an opportune place to steal. But, although it is undoubtedly more challenging than my other two Gaisce activities, over the last few months, it has become increasingly significant to me on a personal level.

My grandfather passed away due to prostate cancer in May, and my grandmother and mother couldn't thank the cancer nurses and carers enough for all they did when treatment was no longer feasible. Although this was funded by the St David's cancer research group in Wales, I know the Irish Cancer Society provide the same resources due to the funding from their shops and regular fundraiser events. Given how much help my own family received from a similar organisation, I am really glad to have chosen the Irish Cancer Society as the charity to volunteer with. A lot of people just come in looking for a bargain, or the volunteers are just looking for work experience, but there are a good few there because they- both customers and volunteers- care about the cause. The work is not always easy, but I am glad to have given my time to this charity.

"Ye're doing great work here"

Our shop front

This week's blog will cover the Irish Cancer Society, next week's blog will cover yoga! 

Something you might not have considered before is that unlike normal shops, in which new stock is guaranteed, charity shops must instead rely on the public to bring in donations…meaning that while it is great when an item is sold, we rarely have a replacement for it. As charity shops almost always sell second-hand items, it is essential that they are of high-quality. We appreciate the many donations from the public, and are always grateful for more. 
 

Part of our
Autumn window display

Real community involvement

I am so glad that I chose to volunteer in a charity shop for my "community involvement" part of the Gaisce. Since I started volunteering with the Irish Cancer Society, I have met the volunteers and regular customers, but also people from around the area who want to get involved in fundraising, such as employees working with BT Telecom and some workers from Today FM. It is great to see so many involved in the charity, and how giving people are. For most people, charity shops are the best place to get a good deal, but it is heartwarming to see how much the charity means to certain customers, who take their change and pop it straight back into the coin box for Breast Cancer Awareness. 

One of the many curious donations!

The new Facebook page

One of the new things I brought to the shop this month was a Facebook page. This page will be a new way to promote sales and shop events, or to attract customers in with unusual, quirky items, like this little fella on the right. So if you're interested or living in the area, please give it a like and a share: https://www.facebook.com/dlcancersoc/ 

To finish this week's blog post, just a quick reminder that this is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, so to all the men, get cracking on sponsorship for those Movember moustaches. Although one of the customers told me "Ye're doing great work here", the vast majority of funding comes from donations from the public, so, women, if you want to do your bit for Prostate Cancer Awareness month too, please text CANCER to 50300 to donate €4 - and if you're feeling adventurous, draw a moustache on your face and share it on Facebook.