Thrift shop settles in at new location

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This article was published 26/08/2010 (5763 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A thrift shop supported by churches throughout northeast Winnipeg is welcoming customers and exceeding expectations at its new Elmwood location.

The Mennonite Central Committee’s Kildonan Thrift Shop moved out of its former Washington Avenue location at the beginning of July.

Volunteers have been busy unpacking boxes of donated merchandise and stocking shelves at 445 Chalmers Ave. ever since.

While a grand opening isn’t scheduled until next month, manager Lily Fehr said the response from customers since the new location opened July 2 has been incredible.

“Our first month we made $58,800,” she said, noting that is an incredible amount given the thrift shop’s low prices.

“We have the lowest prices of any thrift shop in the city and all of our profits go to the Mennonite Central Committee, which uses these funds to support relief efforts wherever there is a need.”

The walls of the thrift shop are lined with shoes and clothing, housewares, books and magazines, games, sporting equipment, and everything else donors drop off. The thrift shop also offers furniture, household appliances, and everything else needed to make an apartment or house a home.

Volunteer Helen Redekopp said she supports the thrift shop because it enables residents of northeast Winnipeg to share and support each other’s needs. She loves the fact that profits go to help those affected by tragedies around the world, including recent natural disasters in Haiti and Pakistan.

“The thrift shop is not just for people who really need it, anyone can come here to shop and get a good bargain,” Redekopp said.

“We have a lot of students and new Canadians who come. They can get everything they need for their new home in one stop and at the best prices.”

Alan Gurney, president of the thrift shop’s volunteer board of directors, said he is very pleased with how well the outlet has been received at its new location.

“It feels good to be here, helping,” he said. “We always have room for more customers and more volunteers.”

Fehr said anyone interested in volunteering can pick up an application at the thrift shop. She said volunteers choose their own schedules and can give as much time as they like. She added it’s an especially suitable place for retired persons and students to volunteer and said they have church congregations who come from as far as Beausejour to help out.

“We all share the goal of helping those in need,” she said.

The Kildonan Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The grand opening will be held on Sept. 18, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

ryan.crocker@canstarnews.com