IF your memory of an opportunity shop is a musty space full of somewhat grumpy volunteers, you haven't met Callie Kelsey.
The energetic manager of Lifeline's East Maitland store is known to send text messages to customers seeking a particular item and she loves nothing better than to help them with all their styling needs.
"There is a seconds store revolution happening," she says. "We are not a huge store, but ours is unofficially a boutique store, beautifully styled with visual merchandising."
As Christmas Day hurtles towards us, Ms Kelsey is urging shoppers to look to Lifeline for affordable gift ideas and outfits for festive events.
Lifeline is urgently seeking funds on the back of a 25 per cent rise in crisis calls since COVID-19 arrived. All funding from its outlets fund its local suicide prevention and support services, including training and supporting local 13 11 14 crisis supporters and Lifeline's free counselling service.
With a Christmas window and decorations, the East Maitland store stocks brand new items with tags still attached and pre-loved items, ideal for those on a tight budget amid rising interest rates and inflation.
"We have decorative items, homewares, all sorts of beautiful things," Ms Kelsey says. "You can pick up gift wrap, stocking stuffers, even stockings themselves."
Ms Kelsey joined LifeLine in May 2021, working at its Toronto store, before moving to the East Maitland store, closer to her own home. An avid op shopper, she decided to leave her lengthy career working in retail and visual merchandising after reassessing her life during the first year of the pandemic.
"That period gave us all a chance to stop and reflect on how we were spending the time we had," she says. "I am a woman of faith and its important that I use my time wisely and I didn't feel I was investing all my time and efforts with my career as helpfully as I could. I wanted to do something more meaningful and be more hands on in the community."
Having witnessed people in her life struggle with mental health, and aware of her own state of mind, she is a passionate believer of support networks such as Lifeline in what she labels "an epidemic of metal health and loneliness that needs to be talked about".
"I have a great empathy for people who are struggling because I can can connect with that, sometimes what is going on in the world is a too much, it can sneak up on you," she says.
"I am really aware of each person I encounter as an individual ... I focus to create a small space in the community where that has a real sense of, 'You are important, you matter, this is a safe place, we'll give you our attention and you deserve to buy yourself a present because you are awesome.'
Ms Kelsey has noticed the shift of more people facing more economic pressure and says many people may not have visited seconds stores for years and not realised what value they offer, from high-end labels down to basics.
"I'm very strict about he quality control in our store so I always make sure I see the value and functionality of item sand ensure it's displayed in a way that people can see how it might work for their lives," she says.
Styling customers is something she relishes, using her previous skills as a colour consultant and visual artist.
"Often people go into an op shop on their own and go digging. Here, people come in and they might be going to an event or going to a new job, and I'll give them some outfits and create a whole look for them in a way that maybe they couldn't do for themselves," she says. "It's something l love doing, helping to spark joy."
