The volunteer group of the Germiston Bedfordview SPCA is in desperate need of funds, resources and community support. Talking to The News on January 29, volunteer Shelley Bainbridge said the volunteer group of six runs a small community shop whose profits are used solely to support the SPCA.

According to volunteer Cheryl Stead, the shop was run by a husband-and-wife team who later left, and it was closed until Bainbridge got it up and running again about 13 years ago.

Stead added that they have a lot of stock but few customers.

Another volunteer, Janet McKintosh, said there are about three squatter camps in Germiston where the shop is located.

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“There are so many people, and if only they knew that they could come here directly and buy stuff at a lower price. Life is becoming increasingly expensive, and they have to bathe and clothe themselves.

“There are people who are really battling and have to wear the same clothes for five days in a row. Above the school fees, feeding and transport, food,” she said.

McKintosh added that they have crockery, cutlery, ornaments, curtains, kitchen utensils, linen, and many other items for sale. She said, for example, computer monitors may sell for R20 or R30. T-shirts for R5, shoes for R10.

She added, “The quality of these items is good because the ladies chuck the item away if the quality isn’t good. We don’t believe anyone deserves something with holes or torn.”

Meanwhile, Stead acknowledged the loyalty of donors from Bedfordview and Primrose.

She said one donor often phones her and sometimes brings brand-new stuff with tags, around R450 for a dress and R350 for shoes.

The shop opens on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 08:30 to 12:00.

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Another volunteer, Charmaine Wilson, shared about the bookshop she’s running. The books are only R5 for a paperback and R10 for a hardcover.

Every Saturday, one of them works outside the Pick’n Pay in Primrose and sells books there from 09:00 – 13:00. They also do the market at Uncle Tim’s once a month, where they sell unique and good stuff. Wilson said, “I started running the bookshop just over three years ago. More than a year ago, Thula helped.

She and I worked for three months, three days a week, dusted every single book and put everything in order.”

She added that there is every kind of book. The bookshop opens every other day from 08:00 to 16:30, except on Wednesdays and Saturdays when it closes at 12:00. It is closed on Sundays.

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The group would love more volunteers at the shop. “We volunteer because there is so much mishandling and abuse of animals. The SPCA goes out and collects these animals, and to do that, we need funding.

“Yes, we get cash donations, but we rely on the takings of the shop as well as a book shop,” said McKintosh.

Bainbridge extended an appeal to companies that would like to supply toiletries and other basics for the shop to sell, as well as to members of the public who would like to drop off donations for the shop to sell. The shop is on 12 Junction Road, Elandsfontein, Germiston.