According to residents, Bounty Hunters Charity Shop in Melville is more than just a charity shop.
For some, it is a familiar place some residents have called home for many years and who continue to come in numbers to support the shop.
Shop founder and manager, Gail Millard, said she established the charity shop 20 years ago and was inspired to turn what people do not use into something to resell. She was involved in charity work and child welfare in her early years before opening the charity shop.
“I currently support 35 organisations that cater to people and animals such as Marang House, Animals in Distress, Jafta Village and the Animal Anti-Cruelty League,” Millard said.
“Most of the organisations I work with are fully dependent on the funds I donate to them and rely on it for survival. We work as a team with the charities who also collect items that can be resold at the charity shop. Animals in Distress receives the most funds; every month we donate R50 000 to them.”
The animal lover also takes in cat rescues and said she has adopted more than 100 cats. Millard hopes that businesses would also consider taking care of stray cats on their business premises.
The spacious charity shop sells every imaginable item on the lower and upper-level parts of the shop.
Melville resident Martin Wenkidu said he has been shopping at the charity shop for almost 20 years and said Millard took good care of her customers who have become part of her family. He added that he enjoyed his shopping experience at the shop and gets his art supplies from there.
Millard said she loved the items that were donated and the customers, and that every day was never the same.
“I believe that it is important to give back because life would be meaningless without helping those in need,” concluded Millard.
