The Quirindi community has embraced a new op shop, which opened earlier this month.
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The op shop is run by Harvest Christian Centre in its church building on Pryor Street and is open Wednesdays to Fridays from 9.30am-2pm.
Harvest ministers Wayne and Phylis Nichols said it was the church’s way of “serving the community”.
“We thought of it a few years ago,” Mrs Nichols said.
“We’ve been looking for a place to rent for more than six months but we decided to open it in the church for the time being.”
The Nichols said the op shop got off to a great start, with about 50 people coming through on the first day.
There are currently three volunteers running the op shop, with manager and Quirindi local Glenda Sellwood at the helm. Ms Sellwood said the response from the community had been “excellent”.
“We’ve had lots of people come through and the people who came through bought lots of things and commented on what a lovely display we had and a lovely variety,” she said.
“We’ve always got new clothes coming in, we have lots of bric-a-brac and we have a fitting room where people can try things on.”
Ms Sellwood is no stranger to running an op shop, with past experience running a store in Newcastle.
“I always wanted an op shop,” she said.
“I love clothes. I love people. It helps people and it’s good for the church.”
The op shop is the second new venture for the church in the past six months, with Harvest Food Bank established in Werris Creek in September 2017.
The Nichols said the food bank was doing well and had become a part of the CBD.
“While the Werris Creek community was hesitant at first, they have embraced it and have made it their own,” Mrs Nichols said.
“It has helped countless families with their current economic situation; it’s helping them feed their children. They’ve been able to spend $10 or $20 and have enough food for the week.
“Every week someone is telling us a story of how it helps them.”
The Nichols said they were thankful to the volunteers who help in the food bank and the op shop each week.
The Harvest Food Bank is open on Thursdays from 9.30am-2.30pm. It is next door to the Werris Creek Newsagent in Single Street.
