Recognition has recently come the way of Walnut Shop volunteer manager Wilma Moore with the awarding by Lions of the prestigious James D. Richardson award.
Wilma is an active member of the Lions Club of Wattle Range Lioness and the award was presented at the recent changeover dinner in Millicent.
The award honoured Wilma’s effort of raising tens of thousands of dollars by running the charity shop at Mount Gambier and Millicent for the past eight years.
The James D. Richardson Award recipients are chosen by individual clubs like the Lions Club of Wattle Range Lioness.
It made a donation to the Australian Lions Foundation which, in turn, allowed it to honour one of its members with an award.
Wilma raised $30,000 in the five years she had the Walnut Shop in the weekly Rotary market at the former Fletcher Jones market in Mount Gambier.
At the close of the market in 2020, she moved her stock to Millicent and is now based in a former car dealer’s showroom.
All second-hand clothing is washed and ironed by Wilma while much of the stock is brand new.
Originally from Scotland and a proud resident of Mount Burr for the past 50 years, Wilma happily chats to donors and customers while she sells the donated clothes, shoes and bric-a-brac.
Together with her off-sider John Wildman, they donate their time to open the Walnut Shop on Williams Road on four days of each week from Wednesday to Saturday.
All proceeds go towards the Prostate Cancer Foundation for research purposes.
Prostate cancer research is dear to Wilma as she lost her husband Barry Moore to the disease in 2005.
He first had symptoms when he was 47 and battled the disease for 10 years.
The premises are called the Walnut Shop as the prostate is about the size and shape of a walnut.
“Every dollar raised at the Walnut Shop helps in prostate cancer research,” Wilma said.
“Good quality donations are always welcome at the Walnut Shop.
“If the items are unsuitable and cannot be sold in the shop, they can be recycled in other ways and still produce an income.”
