Disability support service takes over local op shop to help people with additional needs gain employment

A disability support service has taken over Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s largest second-hand store to offer employment opportunities to people with disabilities. Since taking over Preloved Treasures on December 1, KalAbility has offered paid work at an award rate to eight people with disabilities. The shop, which is now named Boulder Op Shop, plans to offer six months of paid work to its staff, as well as an opportunity for workers to leave with a certificate or qualification. Store owner and KalAbility director Sally Van Essen said she hoped the opportunity would increase her staff’s ability to gain future employment. “It’s really hard for people that have additional needs to find employment and meaningful employment,” she said. “(Staff here will be) able to learn skills and have experience to put on their resumes. “It’s always easier to get a job when you’re in a job.” Knowing the struggles of finding work as someone who lives with a disability is Ms Van Essen’s stepdaughter Jessica-Mae Griffiths, who had been volunteering at Preloved Treasures since December 2024 and is now in a paid position at the store. Ms Griffiths said she had been knocked back from opportunities in her past, which made her grateful the store was still operating. “Some people just don’t want to give the chance and that’s fair enough,” she said. “It can be very challenging. “But when you have someone, a place like here, that does give you the opportunity, you feel welcomed,and you feel appreciated and you feel acknowledged.” Ms Griffiths said the store had given her more than just work. “It’s given me a sense of purpose again for my mental health issues and I’ve been able to experience life in the best way possible here,” she said. “It’s helped me with my confidence and my patience and just having a place to go that I’m welcome.” Her passion for volunteering and being at the shop was what influenced Ms Van Essen to buy the store when it was advertised last year. Aside from supporting people with disabilities, Ms Van Essen said she took pride in the store assisting people through the cost-of-living crisis. “A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet,” she said. “With the rising costs of just electricity and rent and things like that, I think it’s really important for people to be able to come in and get a bargain. “Most things are set prices.” Boulder Op Shop is on the corner of Lane and Piesse streets and is open from Monday to Saturday.