Each week, 18-year-old Grace Smyth treks up the steep hill that leads her to the Vinnies Kelburn Op Shop.

The Assistant Manager began volunteering when she was in year twelve, with the hopes of getting a bit more job experience and giving back to the community in the spare time she had. Grace’s duties involve sorting, pricing and selling, and when her manager isn’t there—she’s in charge of the whole store.

Smyth’s main highlight is the wonderful feeling of helping her community, while seeing how happy Vinnie’s services make their customers. Grace also stressed the rewarding nature of working with her cheerful manager, Narges Hamidi who has been there since she joined over two and a half years ago. “She makes the whole experience really fun, [with her] getting stuff done doesn’t feel like a task.”

Volunteering holds a special place in Grace’s heart. She is grateful for the incredible people she gets to work with and meet regularly. “I can give back to the community and connect with others as well. I know so many people from Kelburn that I’ve met through the shop and I’ve made some great friends – they’re all just so lovely.”

Smyth is also a youth group volunteer and often heads back to Karori Baptist Church after her shifts at Vinnie’s. She spoke of both roles with such joy and dedication, and iterated that if there’s anyone out there considering volunteering: “Just do it!” She encourages others to “go for it because if you don’t like it, you can stop—there are no repercussions.”

From her role at Vinnies she has learnt great customer service, working well in a team, communication skills and has had the opportunity to build a community. The Kelburn Op Shop has about 15 volunteers, each with a diverse range of backgrounds and age groups. Grace reflected on the enjoyable pizza party the group had, while celebrating the birthday of Vinnie’s earlier this year. She is proud of the wonderful team she works with and feels they deserve to be celebrated for their efforts; “lots of hours going into the job shouldn’t go unnoticed.”

In light of current events, Grace has found her role extremely valuable. Her own reflections exhibited the selfless, warm nature of volunteering to make a difference in the community; “To feel like you can do something for someone else and not be consumed with yourself especially [in a time such as] COVID-19 is important. It’s good to think about other people and what they’re going through in order to just help them a bit more instead.”

Grace is well into her first year of Computer Science at Victoria University, but doesn’t have plans to stop volunteering any time soon. “I just love the community and the family that we’ve got at Vinnie’s Kelburn!”

Her final message was one of appreciation for her wonderful community; “Thanks for supporting us, being there for us and giving back because we really wouldn’t be able to do it without you.”

Keana Virmani | Guest Writer