Finding a diamond in the rough

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/11/2017 (3150 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Does the idea of hitting the mall to do your Christmas shopping fill you with existential dread? Do you love giving presents but hate being part of the cycle of endless consumption? Is the idea of driving all over town to find the perfect gift making you anxious?

If so, the Magical Mystery Thrift Bus Tour might be just the cure you’re looking for: one warm bus, four local lesser-known thrift stores and a whole lot of unique, eco-friendly gifts that also give back to the community.

The tour will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1445 Main St. The bus will return there at about 2:30 p.m. after a 45- to 60-minute shopping stop at each location; participants will also receive a coupon for each store. There’s a hotdog lunch at the final stop.

The event’s organizer, Kristy Muckosky, works at Thrive Thrift Shop at 555 Spence St., a project of Thrive Community Support Circle that provides international students and newcomers to the city, as well as those overcoming physical and mental-health issues and people completing court-mandated community service, with employment, social and life skills and work experience.

The seed of the tour was planted after she formed a networking support group for other charity thrift shops in the city.

“Every time we met, we would laugh because we all had similar stories and the same challenges, and success stories,” she says. “Even though each one of us are helping individuals who face barriers in their lives, we are all helping slightly different people, but the struggles are the same.”

The 32-year-old Thrive (formerly called Spence Street Thrift Shop) has 50 to 75 volunteers a month who run the store and the warehouse.

“They’re all here to either obtain job skills or social skills and/or improve their English,” she says.

“We sell clothing and household items, furniture, baby clothes, toys; basically everything and anything except old TVs,” Muckosky says. “We service West End residents, often those living in poverty. Our products are very, very, very affordable.”

Despite its three decades serving the community, she says Thrive isn’t well known outside the West End.

“People don’t know about us and this is another chance to let people know that we exist,” Muckosky says.

“Every time I tell someone about the store, every single time, I hear, ‘Oh goodness, I had a bunch of stuff in my trunk and I just took it to Value Village because I didn’t know where else to go.’”

Donation hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the store will also pick up items. Tour participants will be offered 10 per cent off locally made homemade quilts.

jill.wilson@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @dedaumier