A top shelf effort from Pernod Ricard Winemakers staff at a corporate volunteering day in the Barossa last month has saved Lutheran Care’s volunteers up to five months of work.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers’ team held their annual Responsib’ALL Day – a global initiative where more than 20,000 Pernod Ricard employees around the world dedicate one day each year to actively contribute to the company’s Sustainability & Responsibility Roadmap – on Thursday, 20 June, at Rowland Flat.

It is the second year in a row Lutheran Care has been invited to be a charity of choice for the event, with the team assisting to pack Emergency Relief hampers last year.

With the focus of the 2024 event being on sustainability and circular economies, a 200-strong team of Pernod Ricard Winemakers staff learned about and assisted Lutheran Care’s Op Shops, which are major fundraisers for Lutheran Care’s important work with vulnerable people and communities.

Lutheran Care operates six Op Shops in South Australia, including the Elcies Op Shop in Tanunda at 4/46 Murray Street. The shops give a second chance to preloved goods which may otherwise end up in landfill. The organisation encourages consumers to think sustainably when making shopping decisions and buying preloved wherever possible, instead of supporting fast fashion or the mass production of new items using finite resources.

Recruited as donation sorters for the day, Pernod Ricard Winemakers staff enjoyed the opportunity to find out first-hand what happens with donations of preloved goods before they can be offered for sale. The donations must be cleaned, checked they are in good condition and that all pieces are present, and sorted for distribution to the various stores. Where textiles cannot be cleaned or mended, they may be upcycled into tote bags or patchwork quilt pieces, or repurposed for animal beds or as rags for domestic or commercial use.

The Pernod Ricard Winemakers team sorted through and prepared a full vanload of raw donations from Lutheran Care’s generous supporters, and five industrial crate-loads of items kindly donated by Pernod Ricard Winemakers team members themselves.

The staff worked in small teams to help get the raw donations shelf ready, taking on tasks such as cleaning, sorting designer items from everyday items, counting jigsaw puzzle pieces and checking board games were complete, removing buttons from textiles to become rags, and even putting together Christmas trees to make sure all the pieces were included.

Lutheran Care’s Head of Philanthropy, Sandy Davis, was astonished at how much work was completed on the day.

“It would have taken our volunteers at least four or five months to prepare this amount of donations,” she says.

“Working with the staff at Pernod Ricard Winemakers has renewed my faith in how people rally for a cause. Seeing the genuine enjoyment on people’s faces was heartwarming.”

Manager of the Tanunda Elcies store, Halia Maynard, says, “It was fantastic to have a Barossa business support us in such a big way”.

“It was a privilege to meet so many local people and explain to them what Elcies is all about and how the need for Lutheran Care services is growing in our Valley,” she says.

“A big surprise for most was the way we try to make the most out of every donation. What might normally be discarded, we sorted into various categories whether wearable, repairable, washable, or useable for tote making, animal bed making or rags before we add to landfill. We literally had three large crates of what was originally considered rubbish re-sorted and only ended up with a small bag of old shoes to bin.”

Halia was thrilled to receive a few enquiries from staff members on the day about becoming a regular volunteer for Lutheran Care.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers prioritises sustainability and circularity by continuously exploring innovative methods to preserve natural resources, reduce waste and enhance the production, packaging and transportation of its brands.

Robert Taddeo, Operations Director – Australia at Pernod Ricard Winemakers said, “Responsib’ALL Day is an event that everyone at Pernod Ricard Winemakers looks forward to each year. It allows us to step away from our usual roles, come together to focus on sustainability, and make a meaningful impact.

“This year’s theme of circularity made partnering with Lutheran Care a natural fit. We’re really proud of the work we were able to achieve and the positive impact this will have on our local communities.”

Pernod Ricard Winemakers is a valued partner of Lutheran Care, having sponsored and donated wine for its 2023 Gala Dinner, and hosting a clothing rack to collect donations of winter coats as part of the 2024 Winter Appeal, in addition to its support of Lutheran Care through its Responsib’ALL Day.

“It’s a great relationship and we are indebted to this amazing team,” Sandy says.

Interested in volunteering with us? Find out more here.