Little shop of favours giving back to HSC

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This article was published 27/04/2015 (4164 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A little thrift shop downtown is celebrating one decade of making a big difference.

The Just Like New To You thrift shop, which raises funds for Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg, will mark its 10 anniversary this Friday. Volunteers at the shop will present HSC with a cheque for $5,000, musicians will perform, and coffee and cookies will be served.

The celebration continues all next week with coffee and cookies for the public, as well as a different sale each day.

“It’s amazing to me because when we started, none of us had any retail experience,” said Carol Cribbs, one of the five women who started the shop. “We didn’t have any clue how it would shape up. It’s been successful, I think.”

That may be an understatement. Over the past 10 years, the shop has donated $500,000 to HSC. Located at 685 Portage Ave., Just Like New To You serves a diverse clientele and sells a variety of clothing, household items and toys for low prices.

Every task, including stocking shelves, pricing, sorting, cleaning and selling, is done by 40 volunteers. Many are retired nurses and health-care workers.

The store’s co-founders are former nurses and members of the White Cross Guild.

The guild opened the shop on May 1, 2005 in an effort to better serve HSC, choosing a nearby location in an area where many people are on a low income and can benefit from access to inexpensive, gently used items.

Mabel Pratt, who co-founded the shop and still volunteers there, says one of the goals in creating the store was to carry on the White Cross Guild’s rich legacy.

Originally known as the Ladies of the Province, the organization has served HSC for 150 years. The original Winnipeg General Hospital was built with $3,000 provided by the group.

“It’s a bit of history that you don’t want to lose,” Pratt said, adding that volunteering at the store is fun. “You never know what you’re going to find that’s been donated, and you never know what kind of customer is going to come through the door.”

Donations from the shop have contributed to everything from purchasing high-tech medical equipment to furnishing waiting rooms at HSC.

Dana Erickson, chief operating officer at HSC, says these contributions benefit patients and hospital staff.

“This is an incredibly dedicated and committed group of people who are passionate about supporting the hospital,” Erickson said of the White Cross Guild.

He added that if there is any group that exemplifies HSC’s mandate to put patients first, it’s the White Cross Guild.

“These are lovely people,” he said. “They are really a dedicated group.”

For both Cribbs and Pratt, being involved with the shop is a pleasure.

“If it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t do it,” Pratt said.

 

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.