Vinnies Thrift Shop Strives to Save Underprivileged School Children

Since its opening on 24 February 2014, Vinnies Thrift Shop in Kenmore, has been raising funds to assist disadvantaged members of the community.

Vinnies Kenmore sells pre-loved, donated goods including men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, accessories, bric-a-brac, furniture, books, and lots more, all at affordable prices.

The shop also accepts good quality items such as books, clothes, furniture and bric-a-brac that other people can still use. Donated items are either given to people in need or sold at the shop. By donating to Vinnies, not only are people helping others, but they are also reducing the amount of items thrown to the landfills.

Proceeds from Vinnies sales help finance various programs of St. Vincent de Paul Society in support of underprivileged Australians.

Vinnies Thrift Shop
Photo credit: Vinnies QLD / Facebook

Fighting Social Injustice

St. Vincent de Paul Society is a lay Catholic organisation whose members believe in putting their faith into action by assisting people in need and fighting social injustice across Australia. They feed, clothe, house, and assist fellow Australians who are forced onto the margins of society.

With the increasing number of children living below the poverty line in Australia today, one of Vinnies’ programs seeks to support underprivileged children and their education.

According to the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), one in six children are living in poverty. In 2018, it was found that approximately 739,000 children are living in homes where the income is below the poverty line.

Children living below the poverty line face challenges every single day. Their parents struggle with stretching the daily budget which is why these children can’t afford school items, clothes, bags or even packed lunches. This is unacceptable in a country like Australia.

Used crayons & pencils
Credit: Image by _Alicja_ from Pixabay

Support for Disadvantaged Australians

Vinnies recognises the importance of education in breaking the cycle of poverty. As part of its program, Vinnies’ network of members work individually with underprivileged families to make sure that children have the resources they need to get the most out of their education.

Assistance may come in the form of home visits, homework clubs, kids’ camps, mentoring programs, school supplies, food, clothing, household items or medicine.

Vinnies also holds parent education and training programs to teach mums and dads the kind of support they need to give their children’s education besides showing them how to manage their budgets.

Boy walking to school
Credit: Image by ambermb from Pixabay

Located at 8 Brookfield Road, Vinnies Thrift Shop is open from 9:00am- 5:00pm on Mondays to Fridays, from 9:00am – 3:00pm on Saturdays, and 10:00am – 3:00pm on Sundays.

Drop by and shop or donate an item to Vinnies and help support an underprivileged child’s education.

For contact details, click here.