Regular “Salvos” shoppers will notice a familiar face missing this week following restructuring by the organisation.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Store supervisor Andree Jessop held back tears on an emotional final day at the store on Friday, April 29.
“When they said the HR person was coming down a few weeks ago I thought there was something going on,” she said.
Denise Graham who shared the supervisor role will also be leaving the store.
Ms Jessop said she was told the relocation of the store to Gipps St meant the organisation is seeking new management, cutting the number of supervisor roles to one.
“I don’t see there is necessarily an advantage if one is sick the other can step in,” Ms Jessop said.
The five-day week offered was more than Ms Jessop was prepared to take on.
“What I’m going to miss the most is time with volunteers and the customers,” she said.
“You might only know their first name, but you build strong relationships.
“I won’t miss cleaning dirty shoes and emptying the red bin, but I’ll certainly miss the people.”
Ms Jessop joined the Salvation Army in Mackay in 1978 before moving to Bega in 1993 and becoming supervisor in 2003.
Volunteer Jenny Hill said the store and the community will be losing a valuable asset.
“She has amazing interpersonal skills and amazing local knowledge,” she said.
“She is able to deal with situations very professionally and in a way the volunteers couldn’t.
“She is compassionate and great at diffusing potentially awkward situations.”