Call for help: Vinnies Albany makes desperate plea for donations to help city’s most vulnerable

Vinnies Albany is desperate for furniture and bedding donations from the public so the organisation does not have to turn away vulnerable people.

The charity has issued a call for support as they enter their busiest time of year with a record low amount of donated items.

Vinnies Albany conference president Anne Smith said the charity helped 80-120 people each month, providing free furniture, bedding, mattresses, crockery and food.

“We’re the only people in Albany that give any furniture. We give it all for free,” Ms Smith said.

“We get prisoners or women who have been in an abusive relationship, and they have to set up a whole new household of everything, and we’re the only ones who do that.”

Ms Smith said the charity’s warehouse had the lowest number of donations she had ever seen.

“We are desperate for beds, and any furniture that we can possibly get,” she said.

Ms Smith said need for the items always increased over winter.

“People can’t afford to heat their homes so they need the bedding and warm blankets and mattress protectors and things like that to keep them warm, because that’s all they’ve got to keep warm,” she said.

Vinnies Albany volunteer Petrina Andreotti said the charity did not have enough donated items to keep up with demand.

“Unfortunately we had to turn people away yesterday for bedding because we just didn’t have it,” she said.

Beds, mattresses and furniture can be taken directly to the Vinnies warehouse at 17 Chevalier Street. To organise a free pick-up, call 9841 6326.

Blankets, bedding, crockery and non-perishable food can also be donated at the warehouse or at the Vinnies op shop on Lockyer Avenue.