Pāpāmoa’s Heavenly Gifts Op Shop is celebrating their second birthday, and their fundraising efforts to generously donate of $100,000 for Pāpāmoa youth.

Shop owners Lynda Behrent and Christene McCrea say the shop opened in the third week of June in 2022.

“We saw a need in events and activities for youth in Pāpāmoa,” says Lynda, so they came up with the idea to raise funds from the op shop and do their part to support youth in the community.

“We are two Christian ladies who had a vision for making a change.

“It’s taken two years to raise $100,000. We raised money from the very generous people in Pāpāmoa who have given us wonderful donations. The community support is brilliant.”

The money will be going to Golden Sands Church, which Lynda says has a fantastic facility and wonderful leaders who provide a variety of youth programmes during the week and camping occasionally.

Heavenly Gift Op Shop celebrated with a “lovely high tea put on for the volunteers”.

Lynda says they feel “very blessed to be able to be doing this and we thoroughly enjoy it”.

“We have the most supportive families who have helped put our shop together. We have 37 volunteers who are exceptional. They have fun and love meeting all the customers.”

Lynda says they haven’t yet planned another charity “but who knows in the future”.