Neighbours Aid Op Shop overwhelmed by kindness

Neighbours Aid founder John O’Hara, centre, with a group of staff and volunteers during the cleanup.  

by Cameron Outridge

Nambour’s Neighbours Aid Op Shop was  hit hard by flooding, forcing the popular charity store to close temporarily for major repairs.

Water rose about 15 centimetres above the shop’s floor level, damaging stock and wreaking havoc on the store’s carpets and interior.

Neighbours Aid founder John O’Hara described the damage as devastating but said the local community’s swift response had deeply touched him and other volunteers.

“It came about six inches over our floor here, so it really makes a mess,” Mr O’Hara said. “We’re going to be closed for a time while we get it sorted out, but we’ve just been overwhelmed by the number of our people and others who’ve come in and supported us. 

“We’re having a massive cleanup and it’s only been a couple of days, but I reckon we’re almost on top of it now. It’s a matter now of getting the builders in and getting everything sorted,” he said last week.

“I think yesterday morning we had 30 people. Today we had 30 or 40 people come in. The support has been amazing—we’ve had so many volunteers it’s just a matter of trying to control what’s happening.

Neighbours Aid has a long history in Nambour, established 20 years ago by John and his wife Jesma with a mission to support disadvantaged children around the world. The charity has since expanded to nine shops throughout Queensland and has raised more than $7 million for education, medical clinics, and essential services for vulnerable communities.

Mr O’Hara said even some original volunteers, now in their 80s, had come out to assist upon hearing of the flood damage.

The Howard Street premises may be closed for several weeks, but Mr O’Hara is confident they will recover with the ongoing support of the community. “We will be up and running again, but I’m not exactly sure how long it will take—probably a few weeks,” Mr O’Hara said. “I’m just incredibly grateful to everyone who has stepped up to help.”

• To support Neighbours Aid during this time or to volunteer, visit www.neighboursaid.org