By Sheree Hoddinett
Where there’s a will, there’s most definitely a way. They came close to shutting for good, but Again n Again Second Hand Shop secured a new spot and the opportunity to continue bringing their goodwill to the Bribie community.
Again n Again Second Hand Shop is all about helping victims of domestic violence and children in need and is run by Sharon Longford and her son-in-law Jesse. It’s only been going for six months, but in that short space of time has become popular within the local community and beyond, reaching as far as Gympie, Warwick and other places.
“We have a huge team of family and friends working with us to achieve our goal of helping our community,” Sharon said. “I named it Again n Again as when I went through stage three cancer I kept fighting again and again for myself and my family.
“I’m extremely passionate about making this shop work, so by just getting the word out there about domestic violence, it makes people aware and to reach out.”
After making the announcement they were going to have to close their shop, the Again n Again team were over the moon to let everyone know things had changed and they were set to open in a new location.
“We came extremely close to closing down, it was incredibly heartbreaking and there were lots of tears,” Sharon said. “We put so much into this shop and we have helped so many people in such a short time. Our customers were also so upset. It was a great shop but the previous location was hard as not everyone could get there.
“But with determination and making contact with a beautiful lady, we found our new shop. We have received so much support and love and wonderful reviews from all of our customers, we are so glad we get to continue this shop for everyone. It’s fabulous and it’s in a fantastic spot near the popular Bribie Island jetty and we have air conditioning. It’s a total blessing for us all.”
With a lot of hard work and all hands-on deck, Again n Again Second Hand Shop opened in their new spot Shop 1/1 Toorbul Lane, Bongaree (orange building- next to Savige’s Seafood and the antique shop) in the last week of September.
“It’s been a lot of hard work,” Sharon said of getting the space ready to open. “We had my nephew Matt offer (for free) to build a change room and storage room for the shop. He runs and owns Sawing Projects and we really appreciate everything he did for us. And my husband who runs Overall Painters also offered all the painting work for free. That’s what family is all about.”
What is it about Again n Again Second Hand Shop that makes it stand out?
“Our old fashion manners and respect we have for all our customers,” Sharon said. “We always welcome everyone with a smile and are always here to help and assist when and where we can.
“Our items are of good quality and great labels, but we keep all our prices low as we know how so many are struggling at the moment. We also offer for free, all our school uniforms for children in need and also free female hygiene packs for women in need.”
When you walk through the doors of Again n Again, not only will you be welcomed with a smile, but you’ll feel the genuine care of the staff; great items at low prices; a clean, nice smelling and exciting looking shop (as told by the customers themselves!) and the chance to visit any day of the week, because they are open seven days.
“We also have loyalty cards - 10 stamps gets $20 off in store,” Sharon said. “We take all donations (just not furniture at the moment because of space) and we also offer free local pickup of items after work.
“We also have a smart TV as a prize for all our customers who donate. This will be drawn at the end of October.”
For further information about Again n Again Second Hand Shop, please phone Sharon on 0405 180 370 or visit them at Shop 1/1 Toorbul Lane, Bongaree. You can also follow their progress and see all the latest updates (including opening times) via their Facebook page.
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