Charity shop volunteers are the lifeblood of EARS as the money they raise through our Greyton Charity Shop keeps our Sanctuary going so we were delighted to be able to treat them to tea at the Sanctuary recently.
EARS Charity Shop volunteers (l to r) Karleen, Elsa, Claire (EARS chair), Penny (Sanctuary manager), Marilyn, Sue, Daryl, Gill and Toni
Tea under the trees, surrounded by donkey paddocks
Several volunteers have been working for many years and some had visited the Sanctuary before, like Elsa who has been at the shop for nine years. Elsa was recently honoured with a donkey named in her honour, our newest rescue, baby Elsa. The two bonded the moment they met and little Elsa was allowed out of the paddock to graze amongst the volunteers while they had their tea.
Charity shop volunteering is a fun way to get to know the community and many of our volunteers have made lifelong friends with their customers. Each volunteer is asked to work just four hours a week though some, like Elsa, love it so much they volunteer for two shifts or more.
Charity shop volunteer Elsa with baby donkey Elsa, named in her honour
Gill, pictured here with Ridley, volunteers two to three times a week
Baby Elsa gets all the love from the ladies
EARS’ chairperson, Clare, thanked the ladies for their enthusiasm and dedication as the money raised through the shop provides the bulk of the Sanctuary’s financial needs. Unfortunately, shop volunteers are hard to find and the EARS team is actively looking for more ladies to donate just four hours a week of their time.
