Twenty years of goodwill

By Gianni Francis

Jul 5, 2022

Generations Op Shop manager Neville Crow. Photos: Megan Fisher Photo by Megan Fisher

Generations Op Shop manager Neville Crow is snug as a bug in a rug. Photo by Megan Fisher

You never know what donated treasures you’ll see through the front window of Tatura’s Generations Op Shop, but the real value to the community goes beyond a thrifty bargain.

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Started by Pat Cornwall in an old pizza shop, Tatura’s Generations Op Shop is now celebrating 20 years with a week-long sale from September 3 to 10, culminating in an afternoon tea to acknowledge the hard work of volunteers and the role the shop has played in the community.

Generations Op Shop manager Neville Crow has seen Tatura volunteers dedicate thousands of hours over the past 20 years to make affordable goods available to those in need.

It’s all about building community for Neville, who doesn’t hesitate to give — free of charge — items of clothing or furniture to families in need.

“At the end of the day we can’t take anything with us, but if we give goodwill and help people on the journey, I think that’s more important than anything,” Neville said.

But there’s more to Generations Op Shop than second-hand clothes and furniture. Over the years the shop has become a front-line service provider for members of the community in need.

“We’ve developed a food pantry now which runs every fortnight,” Neville said.

“If people need assistance they can approach us and we can offer frozen goods — sometimes fresh goods, too — which were picked up from Shepparton Foodshare that can be distributed to families and individuals when they need it.”

And the proceeds raised from the op shop are invested straight back into the community via $2000 cheques every few months, Neville said.

“We support various organisations including local hospitals, hospital aged care and the fire brigade and the SES branch, as well as other people who may need assistance ... [with] furniture or other help that is needed.

“Obviously, the last few years, we've been struggling because of everything, but generally, we've been pretty consistent.”