It is a common occurrence for Tania Leitch-Heggie’s garage to be filled to the brim in organised chaos.
From second-hand clothing to baby chairs to prom gowns, the room seems to contain everything and anything – and she’s knows exactly what’s in there.
A volunteer with Takutai Charitable Trust, a pro-active, community-focused organisation which advocates for and encourages connectedness and resilience across the Pohutukawa Coast, Leitch-Heggie’s garage in Beachlands is open every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday for donations and drop-offs until 7pm or by arrangement.
“We take anything that is clean, good quality items of clothing, children’s wear, baby items, toys, homewares, bags and jewellery,” Leitch-Heggie says.
Takutai is unable to receive printers and computer screens or large furniture items.
On average, Leitch-Heggie receives 1000kg of stock in donations a week.
She sorts all the items into boxes that are then delivered to various outlets. Firstly goods are provided to Takutai’s community store in old Beachlands, Coastal Treasures. Then surplus or specific items are provided to the Homeless Auckland, Habitat for Humanity, Coastal Cat Rescue and Nyra’s Second View Op Shop.
Coastal Treasures, run by volunteers, sells the goods collected at low prices. Every dollar is invested back into the community.
“People are giving to not just us, but to other communities as well,” she says.
If Leitch-Heggie receives specific donations in-line with local events, public holidays and celebrations, such as Mother’s Day or Easter, she keeps them in small, organised boxes to be used as displays in Coastal Treasures for the special day.
For example, at Christmas Takutai provides hampers for local kids and has a children’s only shopping event. She does the same with clothing according to the different seasons.
“I give it (donations) back to the community at certain times of the year,” Leitch-Heggie says.
When she first arrived in Auckland, she and her friend Lesley Overend would collect baby clothes and do banana baskets at the Market Day at Coastal Treasures. “Someone asked me if I had any spare undies or socks,” Leitch-Heggie says.
“Because of Covid, people couldn’t buy online because of the waiting lines. I put up a post in March 2020 to see what I could get outside my house and it’s never stopped. If I can put this stuff in the shop (Coastal Treasures) for cheap for people that are giving it for free, then they can buy back cheap and it sort of recycles it.”
Takutai Trust board member Ann Montier says that is what Coastal Treasures and the Trust is all about – putting stuff back into the community. “It’s by the community for the community,” Montier says.
She says the trust puts all the donations that are received from the community back into the community through their various programmes – the Food Bank for Beachlands and Maraetai, a youth programme that involves local school-aged kids, working bees, coastal community garden, and an intergenerational programme which mixes the young and old for conversation and bonding.
More recently, the trust has been granted strategic partnership funding and a lease over the Log Cabin in Beachlands which allows them to add more classes and groups to its community activities.
