Volunteering at the Koha Shed

VALUED: Sherron Sunnex at the Koha Shed. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

Sometimes we need to step outside our comfort zones and look at life from a new angle.
With that in mind, Whanganui Volunteer Centre organises an annual event in which selected people in our community are asked to give a couple of hours of voluntary work in exchange for the experience. It seems a fair trade.
Last year, Midweek reported on Mayor Annette Main spending her two hours working in the Volunteer Centre writing letters.
This year it was my turn and on Thursday, November 10 at 10am, Volunteer Centre manager Sandra Rickey sent me across the river to the Koha Shed at 88 Duncan St. There, Sherron Sunnex and her volunteers have set up "shop" on the former Scout Hall next to Eastside Automotive.
Basically, they are a free shop for people wanting life's essentials in time of need - clothing, furniture, bedding, food, toys etc.
My job description was "sorting goods as required" and the skills required were "fit and able, pleasant manner, able to work as part of a team".
Part of the requirement is to write a story about the experience. Sandra, this is it.
The Koha Shed has a community lease to use the property and they are using it to its full extent. The building is packed with goods and I was given a quick tour before starting work.
"To get the lease we had to show sustainability," says Sherron, "And we've done that."
Gloria was helping when I arrived so it looked like it would be the three of us sorting through donated items.
"We're very well supported," says Sherron, showing me around. "The garage is full of furniture too, but it won't stay that way for long."
The Koha Shed lends a hand to many people in a variety of circumstances: new arrivals to Whanganui, people having to leave a boarding situation and needing things to set up a flat, although rental accommodation is at a premium. Many find most of their money goes on rent.
Clothing takes up a lot of space in the old Scout Hall, although there is room for the odd item like an old slide projector.
Volunteer David was operating a line trimmer outside where a community garden flourishes. Another volunteer, Hugh, was helping. Raised beds support all manner of vegetables and a hen rummages free range in the yard. She supplies regular eggs. A load of soil was due to be delivered soon and more vege plants were needed. A grant from Te Puni Kokiri helped with purchasing the raised beds.
"It'll be a lovely spot for people to come and sit in the summer," says Sherron.
I was shown to the sorting area in the middle of the large room. It would be my job to go through bags of donated clothing and sort out items to shelve or hang, things to be washed, things to go in the rag bag and stuff to be binned. Not too taxing and we could chat while working.
"We've already sorted more than 100 bags of summer stuff and put it out," says Sherron. The Koha Shed has a rack for school uniforms.
The place gets very busy and Sherron has got to know quite a few of her people. Some days more than 150 people will come through the doors, politely asking for help.
"We're getting new people all the time. They only take what they need."
Gloria put the kettle on and we settled into sorting and chatting. Gloria came in 10 months ago to do two days a week and has been working full time and occasional weekends ever since. She has a history of working social services in Australia.
Beside me was a huge box of coathangers - empty ones indicate a busy day.
The bags seemed to contain a large amount of children's clothing, mostly winter gear and mostly clean and ready for use. I was left on my own and people arrived, needing Sherron's help. She says they do provide food parcels if the City Mission Food Bank is closed and people are desperate. The Mission provides food for such occasions but sometimes Sherron has to buy food in.
Sherron says plus sizes are popular and the Koha Shed is always wanting them. There is a misconception that people are bigger because they are well-fed. The fact is, nutritious food is expensive so poorer people are more likely to eat cheap, calorie-packed food.
Most people come in looking for clothing.
"Their only money is their food money," says Sherron. "If you're having to pay out for clothes it's coming out of your food cupboard." She says that even if clothing is cheap at the op shops, four or five kids needing to be clothed still make it relatively expensive.
Gloria arrived with the coffee and sorting continued. I ended up with about a dozen odd socks of various sizes draped over the edge of a cardboard box.
Sherron is aware of popular opinion and how people who have made bad choices are needing charity.
"It's about the children," she says.
Watching her deal with the constant flow of people, you become aware of how big a heart this woman has. Everyone is treated the same, with respect and compassion. Those needing help are treated no differently to those bringing in donations.
Sherron obviously enjoys what she does.
I emptied the contents of another bag and found all manner of things as well as clothing. Gloria says they check a lot of it because sometimes medication is found in pockets and it must be destroyed.
There were towels among the clothes and some bundles of cutlery bound with rubber bands. There was a yoghurt maker in one of the bags.
A woman arrived looking for towels and linen and a bed, if possible. She announced that she starts a new job soon and everyone shared her joy. It was almost a celebration. She found a chest of drawers so she doesn't have to store her clothes in plastic bags.
As midday approached the place got busier and there seemed to be children everywhere. They found toys to play with while parents "shopped".
A young cyclist arrived hoping to find a helmet. Not today, but they'd be back.
The Koha Shed has another role to play in preventing crime prevention. Some customers would have previously helped themselves from a retail store. Now they can find what they need risk-free.
As well as regular volunteers, Sherron says she has community service workers through the Department of Corrections. They are particularly helpful in the garden.
"All of this exists because there is a caring community," says Sherron. Once people realise they are part of that community, there is a noticeable change in self esteem.
People and businesses are all willing to help, sometimes with donations, sometimes with special rates.
A woman brought in a bag filled with soft toys. Another person wanted to donate a box of video cassettes but the Koha Shed already has too many.
My two hours flew by and before I knew it I was heading off to be a Midweek reporter again. But not before I had taken a photo of Sherron in the doorway of her beloved Koha Shed.