30 July 2024
The “Save the Fabric from the landfill’ project was initiated when a Hong Kong rich couple asked CCET where they can dispose their used clothing and shoes. CCET suggested them to donate them to the Salvation Army or the Hospice’s 2nd hand shops. The couple came back and told CCET that those 2nd hand shops didn’t want their donations. CCET understood that the Hong Kong couple’s throw away clothing and shoes were still very good and of famous brand name too. CCET thought that it was a waste to throw away those still good clothing and shoes. Who will take them ? How can CCET get those things to the people who need them and save them from the landfill ?
Fr. Martin, the parish priest of St. Joseph church in Otahuhu suggested CCET to give to his parishioners. Fr. Martine told CCET that most of his parishioners are Pacific Islanders. They do not have a lot of money. They have many children. He was sure that the Pacific Islander families would like to have them. The idea of running a “Free Op Shop” for the parishioners begin.
CCET started to call upon some Chinese to donate clothing and still good to use things for the project. 10th March 2024 the first Free Op Shop was opened at Otahuhu Church’s small hall.
CCET had the intention to run the Free Op Shop once a month after the two Sunday masses and that each parishioner was allowed to take just 2 items. When the parishioners came and saw the clothing, they could not but kept taking clothing into their arms. When CCET’s volunteers wanted to stop them. They said, I have 6 children, 2 items are not good for them all. So, the volunteers could only watch them taking as many clothing as they could.
After the first Free Op Shop, CCET understand that there is no point to run another Free Op Shop in Otahuhu Church again within a short time. People has taken so many clothing that they would not need any more for the time being. CCET needs to go to another South Auckland church and give the clothing to other Pacific Islanders. With the help of Fr. Martin, more Catholic churches agreed to have Free Op shops run in their parish. Many parish priests saw that their parishioners were very, very happy getting the clothing, they request the Free Op Shop to be run in their parish again when the season changes.
This project needs a lot of space to store the clothing and many volunteers to sort out the clothing. It is not easy. It is a meaningful project. It can save the environment and it helps the people in need. It will be an ongoing project for CCET.
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