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If ever you find yourself in Deloraine and in need of cheering up, your first port of call should always be the Vinnies store. Standing pride of place in the middle of town, the shop is full of fantastic finds and truly terrific people!  Stepping through the front door, you’ll instantly feel welcomed by the happy team of local volunteers and their amazing manager, Alison.

If you’re extra fortunate, you’ll find yourself there on a Thursday morning, when Rohan (a leading inspiration for the Vinnies’ Treasures series) will be rostered on for duty!

Meet Rohan

At the tender age of 16, Rohan started his adventure with Vinnies through a work experience placement. Now, four years later, he’s one of the longest serving volunteer retail staff at the Deloraine store and has an expansive operational knowledge.
“Rohan’s amazing, he’s always checking our budget and making sure we’re on-track.”  Along with his accuracy, Deloraine Retail Manager, Alison, can’t get over Rohan’s eye for detail “he’ll sort through our donations and research anything that looks a bit out-of-the ordinary”.  The money from items sold at Vinnies stores goes straight into enabling delivery of our support services across the state, so making sure goods are accurately priced is really important to our teams.  
For Rohan, volunteering at the store is an opportunity to be part of a caring community. Rohan credits the people he works alongside and the purpose of his role, as being the major reasons for staying with the store for so long. “It’s an amazing place to work … everyone is so friendly.  I like helping people.”  That sentiment is echoed by his colleagues and customers at the shop, Rohan’s willingness to help and his cheeky sense of humour are winners with everyone.
You might be thinking it’s unusual for a young bloke in his twenties to be a dedicated volunteer … and you’d be right!  You’ll be even more impressed when you learn Vinnies is just one of many commitments Rohan crams into a week.  It’s fair to say, Rohan is a man of many talents and great life goals!
Rohan has recently returned from the National Boccia Championships. Representing Tasmania, Rohan took out 5th in his category. Considering he took up the sport only two years ago (and was competing against experienced representatives from all over Australia), this was a mighty foray into the national competition.  His sights are now set on becoming a member of future Paralympian teams.
To do so, Rohan will have to find the time to combine training with study.  After successfully completing the tertiary introductory course this year, next year Rohan begins Bachelor of Information Technology studies with UTAS.  He’s hoping to graduate in the field of Digital Forensics. 
A love of cyber-technology makes perfect sense when you realise Rohan’s a massive fan of the Dr Who series.  Favorite Doctor? David Tennant, of course!  He even sports a ‘sonic screwdriver’ tattoo on his right forearm – now that’s serious commitment.  It also reflects the incredible energy and playful attitude Rohan has for life!  On a side note, Alison’s dad played the part of one of the first Daleks to appear in the series.  A slightly freaky coincidence, but one that has definitely deepened their mutual admiration.   
Rounding off our summary of why we’ve officially crowned Rohan a ‘Vinnies Treasure’ - his passion for influencing a better future for all of us. Combining his strong commitment to caring for the environment and people, Rohan aspires to one day enter Tasmanian politics – becoming a formidable and genuine voice in disability advocacy.
In so many ways, Rohan’s just like the rest of us – he loves animals, can’t wait for his next PINK concert and has a healthy addiction to chocolate and donuts.  But he possesses a special ability - he makes you feel good about yourself and the world around you.  Rohan shows us that we all have the power to make good things happen.  It doesn’t have to be on Rohan’s grand level, the small choices we make each day can add up to a big change for the better, in the lives of many.
Rohan, thank you so much for choosing to be part of the Vinnies family and for sharing with us your gifts of compassion and laughter.

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Rohan and Alison – Vinnies Deloraine

Festive fun with some of the Vinnies Deloraine team

Festive fun with some of the Vinnies Deloraine team