A campaign to fund and place defibrillators in all South Coast Vinnies op-shops has had some heart-warming success even before it officially began.
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Marisa Cashman, centre-manager for St Vincent de Paul's Society - Canberra/Goulburn, said the Hearts for Vinnies fundraising initiative was set to launch on Monday, July 25.
However, before she had even finished writing the campaign's media release, Barbara, one of her Narooma store volunteers rang to say a friend of hers had donated the $2000 needed to buy a defibrillator for the Narooma branch.
"Vinnies staff and volunteers are so grateful to this wonderful donor and they know that the local community will be too," Ms Cashman said.
"Whoever you are, you have definitely made a difference to everyone."
Ms Cashman said the organisation wanted to raise money so that each of the 27 Vinnies' outlets in the Canberra/Goulburn region could buy a defibrillator and be trained how to use it.
The motivation behind the Hearts for Vinnies campaign was to provide a safe environment for visitors, volunteers and staff.
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Ms Cashman said people in Narooma wanted a defibrillator anyway after an incident earlier this year when an elderly man in a wheelchair had a heart attack in town and died.
"Someone came in and asked us if we had a defibrillator," Ms Cashman said.
"Woolworths has one and I assume the ambulance station has one, but they weren't necessarily there on the day.
"I heard people in the shoe shop talking about getting one for the town."
Through St John's Ambulance, Vinnies has arranged a supply of these life-saving devices at a special rate, plus free training for selected Vinnies' staff and volunteers.
The Hearts of Vinnies campaign started on Monday, July 25, and will run until each store has raised $2000 for its own defibrillator and training.
Even though Narooma has achieved its target thanks to one person's generosity, the campaign continues for the other 26 centres in the Canberra/Goulburn region. These include Batemans Bay, Moruya, Bega and Merimbula.
Ms Cashman said many people who work at Vinnies were elderly so it would be good to have a defibrillator on hand.
"It is something we should all have."
Donations can be made at your local Vinnies branch, or scan the Hearts for Vinnies QR code in-store.
