b'Op shops making a difference.From Brunswick to Bendigo, Glenroy to Geelong West, Uniting Vic.Tas Op Shops are all about giving back to their local communities.Our dedicated team of 60 staff and 400Meanwhile, the City of Stonnington Volunteer volunteers are passionate about creatingAwards recognised the hardworking Prahranwarm, welcoming and inclusive spaces. Op Shop team with the Community Group Award We have 17 stores across metropolitan andfor their outstanding contribution and positive regional Victoria and were growing. We hope impact on the community.to continue opening new shops each year as Uniting Vic.Tas Op Shops Senior Manager, Jacob well as expand into Tasmania for the first time. Miller says the motto of our op shops isdiscover, In 2023, we opened several new stores, includingdonate, volunteer, make a difference.in the Bendigo CBD and Brunswick. Our volunteers tell us all the time about the The Brunswick Op Shop, in the heart of busysense of connection they have with their local Victoria Street, also features a fit for purposecommunity, Jacob says.warehouse, meeting rooms, sorting rooms and Every day, our op shops and our people makeis the new headquarters for our partnerships a difference and help improve the lives of people and enterprise teams. in need.We continue to forge strong links withOp shops are places where people gather,employment services creating new opportunitieswhere they connect, where they can feel like for young people and people with a disability. theyre making a meaningful contribution toThis includes using our TADPAC print and designtheir communities.service and selling pottery products made by FireWhen somebody donates and shops at Uniting and Clay in Melbourne. Op Shops, they are making a difference to their Through our School Leaver Employment Supportlocal community and supporting sustainability (SLES)Pathways to Employment Program, weand the environment.help school leavers with training, work and lifeEvery donation made to our op shops goes skills. Recently a group of young people havetowards funding the programs Unitingbeen putting these skills into practice by workingVic.Tas delivers. at our op shops. This includes our crisis support and emergency Over the past 12 months, we also celebratedrelief services, providing hot meals for people a number of milestones, including the 50thsleeping rough, as well as help for families anniversary of our Glenroy Op Shop. experiencing financial hardship. 4 Supporter Newsletter Autumn 2024'