General News
9 May, 2024
Op-shop frustrated by donation thefts
The Maryborough Scout Op-Shop is urging residents to only make donations during opening hours as dumped donations have created a gold mine for opportunistic thieves. Since making the move to the Genesis Church owned Tren Du Bourg Hall in early...
The Maryborough Scout Op-Shop is urging residents to only make donations during opening hours as dumped donations have created a gold mine for opportunistic thieves.
Since making the move to the Genesis Church owned Tren Du Bourg Hall in early February, Maryborough Scout Op-Shop treasurer Stewart Hulls said garbage bags being left across the building for collection have become a common occurrence.
“People are leaving their donations after hours every week without fail, most weekends and sometimes on a Monday, people will see we are not open and just dump it at the door,” he said.
“Genesis Church own the building and we have given them a commitment that we will try to minimise rubbish as best as possible and we need the community to abide by that.
“We will get people sometimes up to 10 pm leaving donations, so they know it is out of hours but they don’t want it to be their problem anymore, and then we end up with vermin who decide they want to rifle through it.”
As caught on the building’s security footage, two thieves were seen taking multiple garbage bags left at the back of the store at around 10.30 pm on Sunday night.
The pair rummaged through the bags taking numerous items, while dumping any unwanted items for volunteers to clean up.
An hour later, another thief was seen going through a bag left at the front door, taking a small package which the store believes contained jewellery.
Mr Hulls said he is angered to see people take donations consistently away from the community.
“These people are rifling through these donations all the time, they just go through all the bags and take whatever they want and just dump the rest,” he said.
“When that happens, some of it can still be donated while other stuff has to be tossed out which then becomes a cost at the tip for us.
“We understand that people are doing it tough and it’s not that we are trying to make it tougher, we just don’t want people coming and stealing stuff.
“One hundred percent of our profit goes to the youth of Maryborough, so people are donating this stuff with the intention of it going back to the community.
“If people are really doing it tough, come and see us and we will work something out, but theft is theft.”
The secondhand retail outlet is currently open Tuesday to Friday from 9.30 am to 4 pm, and Mr Hulls asks residents to make their donations during these hours, or contact the store for after hours collection.
“It is so much easier if donations are brought in during business hours and if you can’t deliver it during those hours, then give us a ring and we will arrange a time after hours to pick it up,” he said.
“We would rather do that than have it left here where donations can be potentially stolen.”
To make arrangements for an after hours donation, call Maryborough Scout Op-Shop on 5461-1880.
