Shop will pop-up in September
The Taranaki Women’s Refuge annual clothing pop-up shop will go ahead three months later this year, as the charity attempts to bounce back from Covid-19.
Refuge relationship manager Shona Smith said it had been a tough couple of months, as the organisation battled with a lack of income while still being fully operational.
With no fundraising money or grants coming in, there was also doubt the clothing pop-up shop would be able to go ahead. But moving the dates from June to September 11-20 means the fundraiser can go ahead at New Plymouth Raceway’s La Mer Lounge.
The clothing pop-up shop is usually the Refuge’s biggest money-maker and last year raised $35,000. This year, friends Jessica Davies and Michelle Lessing have taken over co-ordinating the popup shop after attending themselves.
‘‘We’re just stoked to be able to support the refuge,’’ Davies said.
They will be accepting more men’s and women’s clothing donations from Tuesday and people can drop clothes to Joe’s Garage, Professionals Real Estate, Health 2000 and Kingsway Menswear as well as the Taranaki
Women’s Refuge office.
‘‘We definitely need more. We’ve got a good start but we definitely want a lot more,’’ Smith said.
They are also planning on creating raffles with donations from small, local businesses.
Smith said she expected the generosity of people to be just as strong as it was during lockdown.
‘‘During lockdown we received lots of little personal donations from people,’’ she said. ‘‘That was really heartwarming, that during a horrible time people with their own income affected, were still prepared to give.