TEA Gardens’ St Andrews Anglican Church Op Shop saw out the end of 2025 with two massive events, both raising funds for groups in the region.
Wednesday 10 December saw a return visit from the ladies of Destiny Haven, a shelter for women out near Dungog, who apply newly acquired skills to produce wares including jams, relishes, chocolates, plum puddings, and bags.
“They are a Christian organisation who are not government funded because they cannot implement all the red tape, and they specialise in caring for women with problems with addiction, such as drugs, alcohol and eating disorders,” Op Shop manager Gerry Struik told News Of The Area.
“They can take in a maximum of 12 ladies per annum, and their six full-time staff members are mostly ladies who have been rehabilitated.
“They are funded through donations and the sale of their products, and in 2025 St Andrew’s Anglican Church Op Shop also donated the sum of $4000 through the income from the Op Shop’s Christmas in July and Christmas sales.”
Destiny Haven’s new intake are supported mentally and physically and are taught new skills to help them cope in the real world, such as producing saleable goods, which is then enhanced by first-hand experience in marketing and selling said goods via their retail shop on premises, or at locations to which they are invited.
The Op Shop hosts two massive Christmas sales each year, one in July and the other in December.
“All the proceeds of both sales are donated to the community, with the last few years seeing recipients including the Tea Gardens Public School, the Nippers at the local TGHN Surf Club, the Free Clinic Bus service and, of course, Destiny Haven,” Gerry explained.
“It required the help of about two dozen volunteers to set up, sell and take down the display tables and the sale items, all under the direction of Susan Nicholls.”
The regular Op Shop proceeds to operate as normal in parallel with the special sales events, leading to two sets of very exhausting weeks for the volunteers.
“The St Andrew’s Church regards the op shop as one of their most important outreaches to the community and are therefore more than willing to donate 100 percent of proceeds to the community,” Gerry added.
If any readers would like to recommend worthy recipients for the future, they are welcome to write to Gerry at the Op Shop via gstruik@me.com, preferably regarding local causes.
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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