The Catholic Leader Flipbook - Issue 5577 - November 10

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The Catholic Leader, November 10, 2019
News
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‘We just want to get back
into it and get back to what
we were doing’
By Joe Higgins
RAMMING his car in reverse
through the front doors of Vinnies’
West End store, a thief pilfered jew-
ellery for two minutes before speed-
ing back out of the store, narrowly
avoiding a pedestrian in the escape.
The stolen jewellery was worth $20-$30.
The store was looking at about $300 in stock
losses from the snatch and grab job.
Vinnies Queensland retail operations manager
Renzo Salvetti said the jewellery was dress
jewellery.
“We hardly ever have anything of value in
there because we just don’t get it donated like we
used to,” he said.
The security company alerted Mr Salvetti fol-
lowing the October 31 theft, and he rushed to the
store to find the front door rammed down.
“The front door and the glass and the frames
(were) all bent up and we’re going to get that
replaced,” Mr Salvetti said.
“There were pieces of the door inside and
glass here.
“You can still see the tyre marks on the
concrete (floor); when he came through there he
spun his wheels.”
Vinnies West End centre co-ordinator Debbi
Engler said they would be cleaning glass up for
quite a while.
“Even we didn’t realise, the donations that
were there (in the path of the vehicle), we had to
throw them out,” she said.
“They were full of glass,” Mr Salvetti said,
“Can’t do anything about them.”
He said the intruder then smashed into the
glass cabinet, which was a $4500 cabinet, and
stole the “ costume jewellery”.
“I think we can salvage most of it,” he said.
Right beside the jewellery the offender stole
were the pricier items.
“He went for the things he thought were gold,”
Ms Engler said.
The store will also have to pay for the dam-
ages out of pocket.
“It is what it is,” Mr Salvetti said.
West End’s team worked around the clock to
clean up and re-open the store last Monday after
losing its two best trading days to clean up – the
Friday and Saturday.
“We’ve lost a significant two and a half
days trade, which is really stopping us getting
the funds we need to help people in need,” Mr
Salvetti said.
“It was a bit of a shock to the volunteers and
the system but they all seem to be in good spirits
now.”
The ram raid came only months after the store
was blessed and opened, which was covered by
The Catholic Leader (25/6/19).
Ms Engler said despite it all, everybody was
“very positive”.
“We just want to get back into it and get back
to what we were doing,” she said.
Mr Salvetti said right now the store just needs
people to know that they are there in their new
location of Montague Road and are in operation.
“Support us, come in, say hello, come and
have a shop, you’ll love the store,” he said.
“We’re here, we’re open, the more we make…
the more we can help the society.”
He also said volunteering was a great way to
help.
“We always have room for more people to
help.”
The store has a gala fashion parade coming
up on November 21, which they were hoping to
generate some publicity for.
Vinnies chief executive officer Kevin Mercer
told Channel 9 News that the assailant could
“reach out” to the St Vincent de Paul Society.
“You don’t need to do this,” he said.
“We can help you.”
Ram raid at Vinnies store
Up and
running:
Vinnies
Queens-
land retail
operations
manager
Renzo
Salvetti
and West
End centre
co-ordina-
tor Debbi
Engler
pointing
out items
in the
salvaged
cabinet
after a
robbery
attempt at
the West
End store
Photo: Joe
Higgins