Narrogin’s Dorcas Op Shop celebrates milestone of donating half a million dollars to worthy causes

Narrogin’s Dorcas Op Shop celebrated the milestone of giving more than half a million dollars to worthy causes on Saturday. The Narrogin and Narembeen Dorcas Op Shops have collectively donated more than $500,000 by selling pre-loved clothes and items. The money was raised across seven years and was donated to local, national and international charities, community groups and organisations. Local recipients from the Narrogin Men’s Shed, Rainbow Women’s Refuge, Devine You and the Narrogin Repertory Club joined the op-shop volunteers in celebrating the milestone. “It’s a celebration of donating more than $500,000 from the Dorcas Op Shops to other charities in Narrogin and other Wheatbelt towns, WA and some international,” volunteer Louise Cameron said. “100 per cent of the money that comes in, goes out as a donation. “So that money that comes in is not being used on the lights or rent, because the owner Rosemary Smoker deals with that.” Ms Cameron said the op shop often relied on donations from the community for bigger expenses. “Once a farmer donated a whole truck worth of wheat, which is what paid for the new lights — that’s community for you,” she said. The op shop is named after a Christian woman called Dorcas who is detailed in the Bible as a charitable person who made clothing for those in need. Ms Cameron said it was important for the op shop to give community members choice. “People come here and need all sorts of things,” she said. “We do sell absolutely everything, and people can donate absolutely everything, where a lot of op shops are very picky about what they will sell. “We get so many donations we are overwhelmed but we get them from all over, not just Narrogin.” There are nine volunteers at the opshop, but Ms Cameron said they were always looking for more.