Hopefield Community Urged to Support With Love
CCN Reporter – George April
HOPEFIELD: For the past eight years, With Love – Charity Shop Hopefield has quietly been serving people in the community who are struggling to make ends meet.
The shop was never established simply to make money. Its purpose has always been to help less fortunate members of the community while keeping the doors open through the sale of donated and second-hand goods.
But keeping those doors open is becoming increasingly difficult.
Owner Keith Noyle told CCN that the shop depends heavily on donations and second-hand goods received from the public and supporting organisations. One organisation from Langebaan regularly assists with clothing and other donations, but the financial pressures of running the shop remain.
“Sometimes it is very difficult because the services still have to be paid,” Noyle explained.
As a pensioner, he says meeting those expenses can be particularly challenging. There have even been times when he has seriously considered giving everything up. But then he sees the people who depend on the shop, and that is what keeps him going.
Clothing from only R5
When CCN visited the shop, Noyle pointed out clothing starting from as little as R5. For a reporter walking through the shop, the prices were surprisingly affordable, particularly considering the condition and usefulness of many of the items. It is also one of the reasons customers return.
For someone who cannot afford to buy new clothing, finding a usable item for a few rand can make a genuine difference. The shop offers much more than clothing. Customers can find second-hand books, kitchenware, crockery, CDs, baby clothes and many other useful household items – all under one roof.
During CCN’s visit, a woman was buying clothing. The simple transaction illustrated exactly why a place like this continues to have a role in the community. The need is there.
CCN returned – and the need remains
CCN returned to the shop again today. There were customers coming in, looking around and browsing the shelves and clothing racks. Some left without buying anything. That, however, is also part of the reality of a small community charity shop. Not everyone who walks through the door can afford to buy something. And that is precisely why donations are so important.
People who have clothing, books, household goods, toys, or other useful items they no longer need could potentially give those items a second life while helping someone else in the community.
The shop was also broken into
The challenges became even more serious over the past weekend when the shop was broken into. According to Noyle, the interior was left in a mess, and even the tap was stolen. For a charity shop already struggling with operating costs, every such incident creates another burden.
Yet Noyle’s concern remains less about himself than about the people who come through the doors. He says it is the happy faces of people leaving the shop with something they needed that make the struggle worthwhile.
Every little bit helps
Noyle says support does not necessarily have to involve large amounts of money. Even something as simple as stopping at the shop for a R15 cup of coffee can help. And, of course, anyone who has good-quality second-hand items they no longer need can consider donating them.
- A bag of clothing.
- A box of books.
- Kitchenware.
- Baby clothes.
- Household items.
What may be taking up space in one person’s home could be something another family desperately needs. For those who would prefer to make a financial contribution or discuss donating goods, Keith Noyle can be contacted on 061 066 5340.
Hopefield can make a difference
With Love – Charity Shop has been part of Hopefield for approximately eight years. It is a small operation, but its purpose is much bigger than the shop itself. It provides affordable second-hand goods to people who cannot always afford new ones, while trying to support less fortunate members of the community. Keeping such an initiative alive cannot depend on one person alone.
It needs a community.
- So, if you have something useful that you no longer need, consider donating it.
- If you are passing the shop, stop and have a look.
- If you can afford a small purchase, support the shop.
- And if you are in a position to donate, your generosity could help keep the doors open for someone who may need them tomorrow.
Sometimes community support is not about doing something big.
Sometimes it is simply about doing something small – and doing it with love.
Donations and enquiries: Keith Noyle – 061 066 5340.
