General News
30 September, 2023
The Ladies of the Bargain Centre
There's a warmth between the women volunteers who work at the Lutheran Bargain Centre: a sense of companionship. Unlike other volunteers who work alone in isolation, these women enjoy the support and social contact that volunteer group activity can...
There's a warmth between the women volunteers who work at the Lutheran Bargain Centre: a sense of companionship.
Unlike other volunteers who work alone in isolation, thesewomen enjoy the support and social contact that volunteer group activity can bring.
Most agree that the friends they have made there are lifelong and the social life at the store is highly important to them.
However, to these hardworking women volunteers,theoverriding aim isto help people in need.
They pull together and get on withthejobbecause they care aboutthe Dimboola community.
"We have a message for the Dimboola people," Menna Bamford, a volunteer of five years, said.
"If anyone needs any money, let us know and we will help them."
Just thisyear, the bargain centre has already donated to at least nine charities just in the Dimboola area, and in addition has given support to two groups: Lutheran Women of Australia and Lutheran Women of Victoria.
The volunteers take on the tasks in the shop that best suit them.
"There was a woman here, I think it was May Lehmann, who had raisednine children soshe was brilliant at mending and ironing, so that's what she took on," volunteer Gladys Schwarz said.
"We do the jobs in the shop during our shifts that we can do best.
"Without any of these women we wouldn'thave the bargain centre."
Most of thewomen have worked there together for more than a decade, and Joan Bathe has been volunteering there for more than 35 years.
Volunteers at the shop rarely leave.
"We meet all sorts of interesting people, too," Menna said.
"People from allover Australia come in here to the shopand we get to meet them.''
Mennacanthink ofonly one instance when a customer has given them trouble.
"It was a girl who was shouting at me," she said.
"I just let her rant until she wore herself out and then Isaid goodbye."
Founded by the Lutheran Church 45 years ago, the Lutheran BargainCentre is a traditional op-shop that will take any type of donated goods, excluding electrical appliances and, of course, perishable goods.
Recently, donationshave been made by the centre to the Dimboola State School, the Dimboola Memorial College, theDimboola Urban Fire Brigade, Dimboola Cancer Crusaders, Allambi, Dimboola Arts Inc, StPeter's Lutheran School, Dimboola Hospital, Wimmera Cancer Center and the Christian Emergency Food Center.