Manage the day-to-day operation of the warehouse providing for the collection and distribution of goods to clients seeking assistance through member welfare agencies by;
Inducting new volunteers on warehouse operations, OHS & Covid Safe practices, allocating volunteer duties, leaving a ‘jobs list’ & any instructions on the white board for the team coming in on the following day. Volunteers must Check In per QR code & written time sheet, wear a high vis vest & sign out again when leaving. Lockers under the stairs are available for personal items.
Maintaining equipment & ensuring that toilets and kitchen areas are clean & serviceable at all times and that supplies are up to date.
Ensuring that all deliveries are put away in the appropriate place, the warehouse is at all times tidy & safe, and that picked orders are labelled, stacked in the smallest floorspace & ready for despatch at the allotted day/time.
Checking that all lights are off, doors & gates are locked when leaving, lift is down & door closed at day’s end & reporting any hazards or maintenance issues needing attention.
Importantly the supervisor must do his or her best to ensure that all volunteers & clients enjoy their RIMERN experience and are keen to return! Everyone must feel valued, appreciated and that their time spent at RIMERN was worthwhile.
Collect donations of furniture and household goods and deliver them to the warehouse. The truck driver has the responsibility of deciding if the donated goods being collected are suitable for RIMERN purposes.
NB. Disposal costs are very high so we cannot accept stained mattresses or items that need major repairs or refurbishment.
Please refer to the Donated Goods guide.
Licence: All drivers must hold a current driver’s (car) licence. It is the driver’s responsibility to inform their daily Warehouse Supervisor of any change to the status of their licence.
The health & safety of all our volunteers is paramount, so drivers & jockeys may not carry heavy items down stairs, individual volunteers are discouraged from going alone into people’s homes and if donors do not have a lift all goods must be accessible at ground floor level or left behind.
This important team of volunteers has the task of unpacking, sorting, stacking on shelves/repacking in kits, or recycling the great variety of goods received each day (apart from furniture, and major electrical items).
They also help clients select their bedding/linen & kitchenware.
Donations arrive mixed but RIMERN sorters repack household kits, label boxes with contents, ensure that all are clean(run through our dishwasher if unsure), undamaged and in matched sets where possible. Unsuitable items are repacked & donated to a variety of Op Shops. Please refer to instructions on Kitchen & Linen room walls for details.
Donated linen must be checked for damage, stains etc. If not fit for purpose it’s sent to Textile Waste. If items need washing, volunteers use the washing machine/dryer in the warehouse.
The Warehouse Assistant’s role is to help with loading and unloading of goods, maintaining the tidiness of the warehouse, minor repairs, supervision of visiting Case Managers and their clients and generally acting as the Warehouse Coordinator’s support in ensuring the smooth running of the warehouse. From time to time the Warehouse Assistant may steam clean upholstered furniture, clean white goods and log goods arrivals.
Suitably electrically qualified Volunteers undertake electrical test and tag as per AS3760-2010 as well as functional testing. Test Kit is kept in the office, all items must be logged with number, type, brand, serial number, tester’s initials, date & Pass or Fail.
Respond to phone, email & social media offers of donated goods from the public.
Collate & process offers of furniture and/or other household goods that require collection, provide spreadsheet(s) of items, donors & addresses, collection date & contact phone to Truck Drivers/Jockeys.
This role is vital as ‘garbage in = garbage out” and if we don’t maintain a very high standard of donations accepted we can’t maintain our reputation of providing outstanding quality to our clients.
For many people this is their first time interacting with a Rotarian or a Rotary project so this forward facing role is as important for our brand image is it is for the goods we source, politeness and gratitude to all who offer items are essential
Access to funding for specific purposes is vital and ongoing, if you have skills in Grant writing or have contacts in the philanthropic sector please CONTACT US.
