VOLUNTEERING at a charity shop has been a life-changing experience for a visually impaired Balornock man.
Fraser Moore, who lends a hand at Starter Packs in Govan two days a week, praised the confidence-boosting work in turning his life around.
He said: "It feels good to work for a charity that helps people.
"My two days at Starter Packs are the best two days of the week. It’s an achievement for me to be getting out of the house and doing something with my life.
"I’ve made a lot of new friends too."
Starter Packs is a charity that helps people when they move into a new house after being homeless. It provides household items like bedding, cups, plates and toiletries.
Fraser enjoys working on the till and serving customers. Prior to his volunteering duties, he'd never even seen a till before.
He said: "Now I can actually use it. If a customer buys an ornament or an item from the shop, I type in the cost and then figure out what the change will be.
"I never thought I could do what I do now in the shop – carrying ornaments and other fragile things and putting them away – because of my eyesight.
"Now I know I can be careful and I can do it and that makes me feel good about myself."
Fraser, a Glasgow Housing Association tenant, first got involved in volunteering through a project co-ordinated by Loretto Care in partnership with ProjectScotland and funded by the Wheatley Foundation.
The 23-year-old now has the confidence to apply for full-time jobs.
He added: "I wasn’t ready to do this before because I didn’t know what I wanted to do or what I was able to do.
"Volunteering has helped me a lot.
"Because I was visually impaired, I always just assumed I couldn’t do stuff because I couldn’t see.
"When I started volunteering I realised I was wrong. Just because you are visually impaired or have a disability doesn’t mean you can’t do something."
Volunteering is a good way to improve your skills, boost your confidence or even help you find a new career. For more information, phone 0141 274 5909 or email emma.hanlon@lorettoha.co.uk
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