Bargain hunters rejoice because the Lismore Op Shop scene is coming alive again.

The smiling staff at Keen Street’s Caroona Opportunity Shop have again opened the shop doors and are keen to welcome the community back.

Caroona Op Shop president Molly Strong said the shop has been through many floods since it opened in 1958 – but this year’s was the biggest yet.

“In 2017, the flood came just over my head in the shop” Molly said. “This time, it went four feet into the second floor.

“Our flood plan was that we move everything upstairs, but that didn’t save us this time, so we lost everything.”

For Molly and the other shop volunteers, providing a community service is the most important thing about working in the shop.

Social justice

“Social justice is a big part of what we do, so we keep things at a reasonable price that the community can afford,” Molly said.

“We are all volunteers here and just as important as selling things is making friends and saying good morning to customers when they come in.

“Often people might be lonely and this could be the first time someone has said good morning directly to them.

“We bring mental health and wellbeing to people and they become part of our family.”

Molly Strong.

Molly has had a long association with the local op shop.

“My mother was an inaugural member here when the shop opened in 1958,” she said.

Caroona History

“It began when the Rev A.K. Keeling saw that lots of people were lonely at home, so he decided that they should develop a rest home – and that became Caroona in 1962.

“Then the second hand shop was created to raise funds to help build the home.

“Since then we’ve raised funds for aged care and all funds go to Caroona, which also includes three homes at Goonellabah, as well as Caroona Yamba and Kingsliffe.

“We also have aged care units at Yamba, Goonellabah and Woodburn - and a community service at Casino.

“Every year we give staff $50 per resident so they can purchase a present for every resident – and we give a lump sum to the community services. We also buy buses for the sites.”

The Goonellabah facility has 230 beds, Yamba has 103 and Kingscliffe has 80.

“We buy things outside the normal things the organization purchases. Things like big chairs for dementia patients who have special needs.

“They can get distressed and these chairs allow them to stay in the household and listen to recorded music they love and have a weighted blanket that gives them security.

“We also built a café at the Goonellabah called Splash café, near the pool.”

Molly said the Caroona Op Shop is always looking for volunteer, so come in and have a chat if you would like to help out.

“It’s a family atmosphere here,” she said.

“We are ok for donations at the moment, but we really need skirt hangers if anyone has some.”

Caroona Op Shop is open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 3pm on Keen Street.

Molly said the shop would like to open on Saturdays, but needs more volunteers to do so.