Paraparaumu’s Trade Aid store is calling for friendly people to volunteer in the shop.
Trade Aid, next to the customer service desk at Coastlands, sells handmade items from small international businesses, with all the profits going directly back to the product makers.
The more than 50 small food and craft producers across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Palestine, and the Pacific are long-term trading partners, and acting manager Angela Torr said Trade Aid ensures all are treated fairly.
With customer service being such an essential part of the job, Torr said potential volunteers need to have a love for people.
Other jobs include stocking the shelves and stickering items, and typically they will only do a couple of hours in the middle of the day, but Torr said the hours can depend on the person.
The Trade Aid store in Coastlands, Paraparaumu. Photo / Grace Odlum
“It’s such a lovely place to work.Since we’re a social enterprise there’s no pressure.”
Potential volunteers can inquire in-store and ask for Angela.
Trade Aid started in Christchurch in 1973, when Vi and Richard Cottrell cleared out their garage in preparation for artisan handcrafted shipments from around the world -a social enterprisebefore anyone really knew what a social enterprise was.
Today no one actually owns Trade Aid, since all the profits go back to the suppliers, and there are stores all across the country.
Each store has a trust, and members volunteer to work in other aspects of the business.
Trust chairwoman is local speech therapist Catherine Brabham who, other members, helps educated the community about Trade Aid, finances and many more business essentials.
Trade Aid’s community focus doesn’t end with education either: it is running an upcoming competition to highlight Kāpiti’s outstanding locals.
The Good Local Egg allows customers to nominate a local who is a “good egg” and the winner, chosen by the Trade Aid team in Kāpiti, will receive a “massive” Trade Aid egg as their prize.
