By Brittany Drysdale
WHAT once was full of life, now stands empty with Mooroopna’s Life Op Shop closing permanently due to significant flooding.
Stemming from Life Church Mooroopna, the local op shop was a favourite amongst community members since its establishment in 2008.
Not only did Life offer pre-loved clothing, furniture, toys, entertainment, and bric-a-brac, the organisation also assisted its community in emergency situations with food parcels, transport, clothing, and general help getting people back on their feet.
In a tragic turn of events, the building which housed this significant community support was completely flooded in October 2022, leaving the premises uninhabitable and its contents destroyed.
Declaring that the decision to close was not reached lightly, a statement from Life Church Mooroopna said, “We were faced with many difficulties including problems with ongoing flood insurance, and insurance delays gave us no certainty of when a rebuild would commence or be completed.
“These factors both contributed to making a reopening financially unviable.”
There’s no doubt the closing of such an integral part of the community will have devastating effects on its members.
“Life Op Shop was so important in helping those in need and providing vulnerable people with assistance and affordable necessities,” said local woman Mary Sawyer.
“Not having the Op Shop is a huge step back for our community.”
