They’re the secret pleasure of Hollywood A-listers, fashionistas, rock stars and royalty. Second hand, recycled, pre-loved, thrift or op shops — whatever you call them, they’re a magnet for bargain hunters and a feel good solution for those wanting to support a worthy cause.
With five retail stores in Auckland (Glen Innes, Epsom, Panmure, Remuera, St Heliers ), an in-house boutique and an e-site on Trade Me, Dove Hospice has taken charity shops to a whole new level. Opening day of the recently revamped St Heliers store saw sales records smashed and with an average turnover of over 5,000 donated items a month, it’s one of Dove’s most successful retail operations.
Each Dove Hospice store is a treasure trove of good quality, pre-loved clothing, accessories, books and household goods. Designer shoes and handbags sit alongside antique silver and collectable china, retro furniture and limited edition artwork and books.
Dove’s retail support co-ordinator Anne Comito says, “We’re so lucky to have the support of our Dove volunteers who work so hard in the stores and at the distribution centre. We’re also grateful to our local communities for the quality and quantity of the donations we receive. This helps to increase sales which mean more funds for our patient services, which is what we are all ultimately striving for. Dove Hospice receives no direct government funding and 95% of the costs of providing the Dove model of care are generated from the shops.”
Julie McCarthy, executive director of Dove Hospice says, “Dove provides a unique and valuable service to patients and their families at a time of their greatest need. This is not just for people at the end of their life but for patients and families living with a life threatening illness, from diagnosis onwards. Our holistic model is available to people throughout the wider Auckland region, not just the Eastern Bays.”
Each year money raised from the Dove Hospice stores helps fund over 6,000 interventions to patients and their families and over 1,000 inpatient care bed days for patients requiring end of life and respite care.
If you would like to donate goods to support Dove Hospice please drop off at any store or call (09) 527 5064 to organise collection. For more information visit dovehospice.org.nz
Dove Shops are located at 1 Queen Mary Ave, Epsom;
185 Apirana Ave, Glen Innes; 141 – 157 Queens Rd, Panmure;
393 Remuera Rd, Remuera; 30 St Heliers Bay Rd, St Heliers
