Words by Jacinta Carmichael-Parissi

One of our longest serving and adored volunteers, Erst.

Did you know that Lyttleton Stores Co-operative is a not for profit business that relies on many different volunteers to run? We have always had volunteers, from starting as a family business and throughout the transition to become a co-op we have relied on many volunteers to build what we have today. Our volunteers help with everything from sweeping and cleaning to grant writing and photography! We truly value our volunteers because we are volunteers too, and know that Lyttleton would not exist without all the helping hands we have had over the years.

We are also very proud of our wonderful paid staff, because providing employment to our local community is one of our achievements that we have contributed to our local economy. Without our paid staff we wouldn’t have the stable foundation to open every day and serve our members and customers with the expertise and reliability to fulfill the complexities of our daily operations. Many of our paid staff over the years have also been volunteers at some stage, coming in for working bees or starting out as a volunteer before applying for a paid position, and are very grateful for the help of volunteers on shift.

Volunteers Rosie and Nel. Rosie has volunteered for many areas of the store and has recently joined our team as Workshop Coordinator.

Our board of directors, some of our management, and many of our subcommittee contributors including the wonderful team behind our newsletter and social media are volunteers too! People reaching out to offer their skills and knowledge have become part of the Lyttleton community in a deeper way, we have often started projects that have only been possible because someone has offered us an exciting opportunity that they are willing to volunteer their time to make happen.

We are getting busier and busier as more people are shopping locally and finding out about us, after over 5 years of being open we still have people who have lived in the mid mountains for decades who didn’t know we existed! But with that comes the need for more and more helping hands, we are out calling for volunteers who would like to become involved!

Volunteering is mutual aid, by helping others you strengthen community and your own sense of connection within. This is beneficial not only to the people you help, but also to your community’s culture and resilience which in return helps your own well being through the gift of giving. Some benefits of volunteering include: community building, decreased social isolation and disconnection, promotes self esteem, learning new skills and knowledge, keeps you active and can be great fun!

Our lovely volunteer Mandy regularly comes in to help us pack our produce boxes on Thursdays.

Volunteering at Lyttleton is also a way that we are helping to provide a more accessible price point for everyone. Organic food and low waste living can be a financial commitment that is made easier to sustain with our 10% membership discount, and even better with our 20% total discount for volunteers.

Our volunteers need to be current members of our co-op and to do an induction which are currently held on Monday and Thursday by appointment. If you do a two hour shift you receive a total of 20% off your shopping for the week of your helping, and so helping weekly gives you a constant discount and you get to know the other people around as well as get to know your tasks and feel confident as to the flow of a volunteer shift.

The incredible Jeff volunteers for a couple of hours every week and helps with all kinds of jobs. Sometimes he unpacks veggies, sometimes he meticulously folds tea towels. He is always a joy to be around!

We are mainly looking for helpers in the store at the moment, for opening shifts, closing shifts, and unpacking deliveries onto the shelves in the middle of the day. We also need help with delivering our produce boxes and shopping to people at their homes for contactless drop off.

Our volunteers have often said that they felt that offering their help gives them a sense of well being in return, gives them a break from the lockdown blues, gives a sense of purpose and of being helpful in these hard times as well as having a fun time with our lovely team. You will always have one or more of our team to help you find your way around and to show you what tasks need doing, if you need help just ask! We appreciate our volunteers and want to make it a valuable exchange, so let us know how we can make your experience even better.

Find out more about how you can become a Lyttleton volunteer website or get in touch with us via email here.

Volunteering at Lyttleton Stores Co-operative