Claire finds calling managing Vinnies shop
Having long harboured a passion for art and design, it wasn’t until Claire walked into the Vinnies Applecross Retail Shop four years ago that her creativity found a new purpose.
As the shop’s Retail Manager, Claire not only manages a team of dedicated volunteers but she has also been given the opportunity to brandish her creativity on the shop floor.
“I have an artistic background, I was a graphic designer, and then a jeweller,” Claire said. “We have a wide variety of donated goods that come in regularly, so our displays and our racks are constantly evolving.”
Claire has also found comfort in knowing that the work she is doing at Vinnies is for the “betterment of society”.
“At the end of the day, it makes me feel good knowing that I’m part of an organisation that is making a difference in peoples’ lives in so many ways,” she said.
Managing a team of volunteers is another aspect of the job that Claire enjoyed. “Seeing the volunteers blossom in confidence, and come out of the shell, is such a joy.”
One of the biggest challenges of the job is dealing with customers who criticize the shop’s pricing of donated goods, but Claire takes this as an opportunity to share more about the vital work Vinnies does for people in need.
“If I can help spread awareness of how their purchase is helping someone in need, it helps to put things in perspective,” she said.