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Over the summer, we're going to be hearing from volunteers from around the country who are contributing their expertise and time in all kinds of ways to all manner of organisations. Today we're at Auntie Dana's op Shop in central Wellington. Named for a local champion of transgender people, it offers a safe environment and an array of clothing and accessories for its clients. Anahita is a long time volunteer here, first working for a Red Cross op shop before moving to Auntie Dana's. Like all op shoppers, she loves a bargain, and she's also amazed at how generous [00:00:30] people are with donations. You can get a sense of this much loved community meeting place by looking at the photo gallery on the Summer Times Web page. I rocked up on a recent sunny Saturday afternoon, so my name is Anna Rawa, and I'm a volunteer here in a Dana's op shop. And I'm 37 year old transgender female, particularly with working with Auntie Donna, is that, uh, it's a store designed for, um, transgender gender diverse and intersex people. So obviously [00:01:00] that covers the LGBT Q I rainbow, and I thought it would be really good to put my energies towards that. Like it's helping back to my own community, obviously being transgendered, Um, we often have a lack of support in society. So, um, by volunteering here and being able to help create a community based place, which is a nice, safe space for all our wonderful rainbow people to come, um, it just felt natural. Like it just came natural. Like it was a good thing to do. [00:01:30] Just thinking if when I don't know, you were in your teens. Would a shop like this have been helpful for you and you find your way through being in my late thirties. Um, when I was a teenager, there wasn't much support around for any of the LGBT Q i people. So it would have been, um, invaluable for me to be able to come to a place like this and get information on name change and documentation and also medical information about, um, hormone going on hormones [00:02:00] and all those sorts of things like it would have been perfect for me when I was a teenager. I imagine you have some interesting conversations here. Not just that outfit looks, you know, great on you. Do you find yourself having those deeper conversations with some of the people coming through here. Frustrations and joys and heartache. Absolutely. I think it's really good that, um, our community especially, um, some of our younger community don't really have, um, safer spaces to go where it's just LGBT Q I people, often [00:02:30] society can be accepting of us and that, um, it's not as easy to be forward or open about who you are or the issues you're going through, um, with people who don't necessarily would understand. I got to say I'm a bit jealous because I think working in a secondhand shop is a really cool gig. And just before we started speaking, I was going around with my camera looking around, and there's some really lovely things here as well. So it's a It's a nice environment. It is nice. It's a nice environment, and we encourage all people to come in here. You don't have to be [00:03:00] under the LGBT Q a rainbow to come and shop here, but we do encourage that and volunteering it tends to become a family, you know, volunteering by its nature. You tend to be social, don't you? You're working with other people with joint interests and passions, you know, shoulder to shoulder sometimes is that part of the attraction for you? Part of the attraction is like you said, being social with, um, peers, especially that when we're all on the same wavelength like, um, it's nice to be around other volunteers [00:03:30] that do they want to give back. So generally we're all like minded people, and it's really cool to be able to come together and interact with each other. And also, um, it's inspiring for for each of us to motivate us on the path that we're on people. Often, I think one of the barriers for volunteering might be Hey, look, I'm a really busy person. Uh, I haven't got much time, so I'm not prepared to commit myself to anything. But with the volunteering, I don't know here, how many hours a week would you spend here? [00:04:00] Me personally. So I do one shift a week on Fridays, so Well, actually, I normally do two shifts, so we have a morning shift and an afternoon shift, so it's actually broken into two separate parts. And then, um, volunteers want they can come on the day that suits them. And so a morning shift is only from 10 till two. So that's four hours, and then the afternoon shift is from two till six to to become a burden. It should never become a burden. That's right. And also here at, um [00:04:30] if people can't volunteer necessarily their time or they don't want to do a shift every single week, um, they might have a few hours available. Um, we encourage them to come to, like a working bee event where we're doing, like organising through donations and sorting through things so they don't necessarily have to be constantly returning. But they came to a working bee that would definitely help to keep this place more organised and all the stock up to date and, um, out on the shelves where we can sell them to [00:05:00] the to the public. Working bees are really interesting because you've got a lot of objects here, So the sorting through and the placement is really important. Absolutely. So, um, the store here it's downstairs and we have in a storage room upstairs, which is obviously filled with, um, donations. But the thing is, because we get so much donations it's really important to keep track of that and to do the sorting. So we do encourage people to come and help out on a working bee [00:05:30] if they don't necessarily want to volunteer here every single week. Um, and that way we can help, um, organise and sort the donations into the, um, where they go. Well, that's great to hear that you have so many donations. Are they from a A broad group of people, Members of the public? Absolutely. So, um, I think the majority of our stuff does come from people under the LGBT Q a rainbow. But we also accept donations from all sorts of people. So there is, um, lots of people in the public turn [00:06:00] up here with donations, and then then, um, it can often be really fun to sort through them. And it's really interesting you you'll find some real gems sometime. That was gonna be my next question. What are some of the most interesting things that you've come across? Well, I've actually come across the most amazing, um, high heels. Like, I imagine we've had some that have, um, donated to a store. And the shoes are just amazing. absolutely most beautiful high heel shoes I've ever seen. And corset tops. And also, um, costume [00:06:30] jewellery. We get all sorts of amazing costume jewellery in here. Have you had any good buys yourself? I have, actually, I think most of what I'm actually from the store, and you're looking gorgeous. May I? Yeah. Yeah, Well, there's also there's a move back towards, uh you know, the recycled and the reused, you know, being less waste oriented. So I think op shops. I was wondering, worrying about them, actually there for a while. Trade me and various things, even Freecycle. Maybe they'd go out of fashion. But are you finding that there's [00:07:00] still the same, uh, interest in donating and still the same number of people coming through to buy? Absolutely. So there is always, like, even today we've had, uh, three people have popped in today and donated items, and we've also had about four people that have come in and purchased things. So there's definitely a high demand for, um, donating and reusing these old clothes and especially a lot of them that are synthetic. And we're going through this big phase of getting rid of plastic things and not checking, trying to be, um, reusing as much items as we can because [00:07:30] obviously it ends up, um, and the landfills and the oceans and stuff like that, and that's definitely not good. So I would definitely encourage recycling clothing and going shopping from shops as opposed to buying brand new like Brand new can be really nice. But I think if you're more eco-friendly, then it's, um, often better to go to shops. Also, you won't be wearing things that are trending. You'll be finding things that suit your specific style. So that's quite neat and probably [00:08:00] made to last. That's right, absolutely. For this series, I'm a hero. I'm I'm looking at a whole range of ways that people can volunteer and I guess really trying to encourage people to do so. And given that you've worked with the Red Cross and you got your passion project here as well, what would you say to people who have maybe been sitting on the fence or thinking, Ah yeah, nah. Or but one day I might get round to it. What's what do you get from volunteering? Volunteering is a really good way to give back to the community places like the Red Cross and [00:08:30] and, um, where I used to work. It's all volunteer based and without the volunteers. Then there's no Red Cross, so it's a good way of keeping the community together. And then, um, obviously, uh, second hand store is a really good way of being able to, um, access cheap and affordable home wear and clothing and second hand shoes and that, and so, um, it's really good to be able to, um, give back to the community and help them. And there are some stuff we donating. [00:09:00] Oh, brilliant. My name's glory. And how long have you been volunteering? Um, well, I've been here for a year, year and a half now And why? I mean, it's a beautiful day out there. There are things you could be doing. What? Why do you volunteer, Give up your time? Um, I've always wanted to, like, give back. So I've always been that kind of person anyway, to just give and the people who come through do you find yourself having some cool conversations and, you know, enjoying the environment? There's lots of cool, [00:09:30] but there's some explicit conversations as well, so I feel like it's like just for everybody. It's there's no specific in everything. So it's very neutral. Yeah, and, um, you can sometimes get some really cool stuff here. We were saying that we've had some good finds. What are what are some of your finds here? Oh, I'm wearing it now. So, um, you actually find, like, there's lots of fabulous clothes here, and the jewellery is really nice. I really enjoy the jewellery the most [00:10:00] you made the costume. Jewellery can be really amazing here. Yeah, um, jewellery. And also there's lots of, like, cute nick necks and and tell you how long have you been volunteering here? No, I don't volunteer. I just shop. I'm happy to talk to a shop as well. You can tell me why. Why This place is is cool to come. I think it's an awesome space. Um, because, you know, it can be uncomfortable being LGBT and shopping and mainstream fishy when it comes to transgender or cross dresses. [00:10:30] And so to have a space where they can come and shop and feel comfortable enough to try on the clothes without any judgement. It's really awesome. Lots of love and no one's like, Can I help? Because we can all help ourselves. Really? Yes, but I think it's a good space for that. Just everybody can feel like they can just come and have a look around. And also, it's fundraising for, you know, good cause for the gender centre, which is an amazing Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah. [00:11:00] So what are you dropping off today? Um, my hand me downs for the next generation and everything that doesn't fit anymore. Yeah, it was too short. Um, so you came here first of all, as a as a shop, or are you friends? I'm friends with the sisters that work here. Like Like one person was working here. And then word of mouth got out, and we all just came in. And we all love a [00:11:30] so carry on. Her spirit is it's really important. She was amazing. She was inspirational. She could tell stories of Africa, Egypt, India, and she was just She was an empowering woman. She was a really strong life force in the Sisterhood and the transgender sisterhood. Yeah, transgender advocate, um, for the last 30 40 years. So this is like predating our time. And so she's um helped to pave the way for, um [00:12:00] and generations to come. She started as like, a a cabaret girl. She she she she loves that she would be so proud. Did she set this up, or has it been named for her for her, and then she passed away. So, um, that's quite sad. But, um, yeah, it was, um, set up to memorise her and her name and all the good work that she's done for transgender people. [00:12:30] Our volunteer interview today was recorded at Auntie Downer's op shop in Wellington. We've got lots of big photo galleries on the summertime webpage. Thank you, Robert, including one for that story.
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