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Narrabri Bowling Club. 6792 2205
Mother’s Day
2 Course $25 Lunch
12 - 2pm Sun 10/5
Kids under 8 eat FREE
Kids special lunch menu
FREE dessert for ALL kids
FREE glass of bubbly for mum
Main Meal
Dinosaur Ribs
200gms Scotch Fillet
Lamb Cutlets
Chicken Schnitzel
Atlantic Salmon
Chicken Fillet
crumbed &
topped with sauted capsicum,
onion, tomato, basil & cheese
Pumpkin & Beef Ravioli
Garlic Prawn Fettucine
Choice of sauces and served
with vegetables or salad
Dessert Buffet
Choose from selection
Bookings essential
Phone 6792 2205
Interview by Craig Jollow
The St Vincent De Paul Society was founded
in 1833 in Paris, France by Blessed Frederic
Ozanam. In 1854 Father Gerald Ward initi-
ated its establishment in Australia after wit-
nessing the plight of people following the dis-
covery of gold in Victoria.
Today there are over 650 stores throughout
Australia providing assistance and ‘working
towards a more just and compassionate so-
ciety.’
Recently I spoke to Marie Keys about our won-
derful store in Narrabri and the service it pro-
vides.
Marie, how long have you been involved in
with Vinnies and what is your main role?
I have been involved with St Vincent de Paul
for almost 13 years. I am the centre President
which means I help organise the centre and
assist the volunteers wherever I can. I am also
involved in the Conference which is the half of
S.V.D.P which is involved in supporting those
who come to us in need of assistance. The
money we make in the Centre goes towards
assisting those in Care and Support. The funds
stay in the region to support our local com-
munity.
The store has undergone some major reno-
vations in recent times. What have been the
advantages of these changes?
Obviously the main advantage in the recent
renovations is to give our customers a nice
atmosphere to shop in and our volunteers a
wonderful space to display our goods for sale.
It’s a very big store so that allows us to display
lots of stock for the community to choose from.
You have an extensive range of clothing and
other household goods at very reasonable
prices. How do you determine the prices?
We are given guidelines for prices from Sydney
but we ourselves decide on the price here in
the shop. The prices vary from town to town.
On the Sunshine Coast and in Sydney I have
seen prices much more expensive than here in
Narrabri. I think our quality is outstanding.
Where do your goods come from?
All the goods in our shop have been donated
by the people of Narrabri and District and I
would like to express our very grateful thanks
to all these people for their donations.
Your customers seem to be of all ages and
backgrounds. Has it become more fashion-
able to shop at St Vinnies?
Our customers come for different reasons
and many people that shop here have been
surprised and pleased with the quality of the
goods we sell and often come back for more.
Some are specifically looking for collectable
items. Most of all our customers come looking
for bargains and quite often they get lucky and
find them.
Is there a busy time of the year for donations
and sales or is the need there year round?
The busiest time of the year for donations is at
Christmas but this could be because we usually
close down for a couple of weeks and dona-
tions build up. Change of season when people
clean out their wardrobes is also a busy time for
donations. The busiest time for sales is when
we change over from winter to summer or vice
versa. The volunteers are kept really busy at
those times.
If someone was keen to assist the organisa-
tion by volunteering their time, what skills
are required and who should they contact?
We are always happy to have people volunteer-
ing to assist in the shop. They are very welcome
to call at the shop and see me. I will interview
them and then there is a training session that
they must participate in before they are eligible
to work in the shop.
Vinnies Narrabri : Marie Keys
12 iNarrabri Magazine
April 22nd - May 5th
(L-R) Lilia Griffith, Marie Keys & Pam Sevil.
Photography: John Burgess
Community
Organisation