Sustainable store open
CHRIS Behan was excited to return to work at Reviva Toowoomba on June 11 after it closed due to coronavirus restrictions.
Reviva is part of Resource Recovery Australia, a social enterprise that diverts waste from landfill and creates stable and meaningful jobs for people experiencing barriers to work.
For Mr Behan, the best part of his job at Reviva Toowoomba is saving quality goods from landfill and helping people reuse them.
“You see a lot of the olderstyle furniture and stock that is well made and can be reused,” Mr Behan said.
“We get a lot of secondhand dealers coming through; they’re keen on the vintage and antique stuff.
“Then we get everyday people who are looking for items for their gardens or home renovations.
“We are such a throwaway society, and there are only so many places where you can store rubbish.
“I think we need to reuse anything that can be reused.”
Previously a Lifeline volunteer, Mr Behan also loves the community aspect of his work.
“It’s good to hear people’s stories and do whatever you can to help them,” Mr Behan said.
“People may be struggling, you don’t know what they are going through but you can help them out, even if it’s just something to put in their garden or something they can use around the house.”
Mr Behan was one of eight team members whose hours were reduced at Reviva Toowoomba when it closed due to COVID-19 restrictions in March.
RRA general manager Matthew Curtis said RRA had to close three of its reuse shops, including Reviva Toowoomba, and stop all community engagement work as a result of COVID-19.
“This meant some of our people lost hours or were temporarily stood down. That was really hard, for them and for us,” Mr Curtis said.
“We also knew the reuse shops were missed by their local communities.
“We’ve had so many inquiries on social media and onsite asking when the shop will be open again.”
Toowoomba Regional Council gave the green light for Reviva Toowoomba to reopen on Thursday, June 11.
“It’s great to be back. We hadn’t seen our customers for about three months and they all had smiles on their faces, they were happy,” Mr Behan said.
“Our goal is to be a community-based organisation people can rely on.”
Visit www.facebook.com/ revivatoowoomba/