The Family Store closed last September, as it needed to be brought up to earthquake-proof standards, and it was relocated to premises two shops along on Gladstone Road.
This temporary shop has managed to cope with an average of 300 customers a day but Ms Parkes is looking forward to getting back to the original, more spacious shop. The Family Store has six paid employees and 59 volunteers.
“We are always looking for more volunteers and are advertising for a paid truck driver to do deliveries and collections,” she said.
The new shop has come about because of the volume of goods donated by the Gisborne community, and will stock beds, sofas, tables, desks, chairs, drawers and home appliances like washing machines.
It is a large space so they will have the capacity to receive even more furniture items now, said Ms Parkes.
They are in need of a volunteer handymen who can spare a few hours to come in and do little fix-it jobs on larger furniture items and re-paint them if needed.
“There’s always work to be done and we simply don’t have the time to do repairs.”
Ms Parkes has spent the past week painting the interior of the original shop and is now starting on the new one.
“Anyone who is handy with a paint brush is welcome to come and help,” she said.
“There’s still a lot of wall space to cover.”
