Albany op-shop tours an opportunity to nab a bargain and raise awareness during Anti-Poverty Week

Bargain hunting at your local op shop is not only good for the environment and your pocket, but helps to raise important funds for the community.

Albany residents will have the opportunity to learn about these benefits first-hand in an interactive bus and walking op-shop tour around the City.

The educational tours join several activities held by the City of Albany to mark Anti-Poverty Week from October 11-17.

Anti-Poverty Week is a call to action to raise awareness and spur the discussions necessary to put an end to poverty across the country.

At the start of this year, more than 13 per cent of Australians were living below the poverty line, including 774,000 children.

Australian National University researchers estimated that income support payments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic had reduced the number of people in poverty from more than 3.24 million to 2.6m.

But once these are scaled back next year, they expected to increase again to 3.5m.

City of Albany acting manager community development and engagement Rani Param said Anti-Poverty Week was a way to work together to reduce these figures.

“Anti-Poverty Week is a chance to work collectively and focus on positive solutions to empower and end poverty in our community,” she said.

Several awareness-raising events will be held on October 17 including an op-shop bus tour and an op-shop walking tour hosted by Meetup Albany.

Albany Menshed will host a Little Free Libraries building workshop for the community to lend a hand to build and decorate free book-lending boxes to be distributed around town.

Non-perishable food items can also be donated through the week to Forrest Personnel and Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre to fill “free little pantries” across the City to provide staple food items to people in need.

To a secure a place at one of the events, visit the City of Albany website.