Opportunity shops support 'clothes for K'Road' initiative

An anonymous benefactor has set up a clothing exchange on Karangahape Rd for homeless Aucklanders.

The give-and-take Clothes for K Rd initiative is a series of hooks put up by an unknown person.

The idea, however, is supported by nearby opportunity shops.

Casey Yeoh, shop assistant at Thrift Way, says it’s a great idea for people who can’t afford to buy clothes.

Even at the op shop jackets sold for anywhere between $10 to $120. “So it’s a pretty big price range,” says Ms Yeoh.

Michael Richardson, precinct manager of the Karangahape Rd Business Association, says K Rd is the kind of community that takes issues of homelessness into its own hands.

“In some ways, it doesn’t matter who the person [behind it] is because what we know about K’ Road is that it’s the kind of community that likes to support and get involved,” says Mr Richardson.

“For us, to keep control of who organises it is not the important thing, but to encourage and support it is what we are interested in doing,” says Mr Richardson.

Shaylah Minhinnick, a retail assistant at second-hand clothing store Paper Bag Princess, says that even though the store is donation-based, the initiative isn’t affecting it because it focuses on “designer clothes”.

Ms Minhinnick says clothes not sold after eight weeks go to charities such as the Auckland City Mission.