We admit, we’re nervous discussing this issue.
But being brave is one of our values at Good Sammy. So, it’s time we discuss an issue that has grown in our community over the last 18 months.
We want to share our concerns about the rise of antisocial behaviour experienced at some of our stores.
But first, we want to let you know, we love and are extremely grateful for the donations we receive. These donations help us provide employment, services and support for people with disability across Western Australia. The funds raised through our op shops are critical to our charity and the work we do.
We hope people understand why we need to talk about this issue, and why we need to be brave in calling out poor behaviour.
No one should have to deal with verbal or physical abuse, no matter the situation.
We've already mentioned that brave is one of our values. So is being safe!
It’s important that we have a safe and enjoyable workplace for our staff, volunteers and customers.
Many of our team are people with disabilities who are more susceptible to psychological harm. Part of our charity's role is to help people with disability grow and flourish through employment. We can only achieve this if we keep our people and visitors safe.
We are committed to creating a friendly shopping experience.
The safety and well-being of our team is our priority. To assist our team, we provide training in de-escalating situations, and we are now moving to install additional duress alarms in our stores so we can contact authorities to provide support when needed.
One of our most challenging situations is when we need to let people know we can’t accept an item they are donating. That’s hard for everyone involved. But the reality is, we are not able to accept all items. The best way to check if your items are suitable for donating is by asking yourself, ‘would I give this to a friend?’
Kane, our CEO explains it really well on ABC radio - listen here.
To help, here is a list of items we can and can’t accept:
✗ Stained, damaged or broken items
✗ Food products
✗ Used or unsealed cosmetics
✗ Chemicals
✗ Alcohol and drugs
✗ R-rated products
✗ Guns
✗ Animals or fur
✗ Sharps, such as knives and scissors
✗ Helmets
✗ Floatation devices
✗ Baby car seats
✗ Cots
✗ Strollers without a safety strap
✗ Hot water bottles
✗ Old electrical items without an insulated plug
✗ Text books or encyclopaedias
✗ Company-branded workwear, including security and police uniforms
✗ Bootleg items, including counterfeit DVDs
We can accept almost anything else, and some of our favourites include:
✔ Quality clothes, shoes and accessories
✔ Handbags
✔ Jewellery
✔ Antiques, including English china
✔ Homewares
✔ Quality furniture
✔ Quality electrical items
Thank you to those who continue to support Good Sammy. We appreciate you and your donations.
Related article: Tips on how to donate the right way
