Centre Street Thrift Store prepares for Christmas sales
By Gwen Snell
Freelance Journalist
Centre Street Thrift Store volunteers have been working harder than Santa's elves lately. With a "treasure chest" of great Christmas-themed items and decorations, they ensure the thrift store can bring these affordable options to the community.
This quaint thrift store started in 2013 as a pilot project of the Hanna First United Church. Weekly sales started at $250 and have grown considerably. Not only did the project prove its value within that first year of operation, but it has also been a valued service, drawing a diverse customer base that includes local area residents, out-of-province families travelling through and even the odd long haul trucker. Customers are of all ages, all backgrounds and walks of life.
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The initiative to provide outreach to the community's needs has resulted in a true success story.
Volunteers come from the community at large. These are volunteers who feel they want to support a worthy cause and are willing to provide their time and efforts for the cause. Since the inception, volunteers have logged 26,823.25 hours as of the end of 2022. It was reported 2880 hours for 2022 alone. There is only one paid staff member – the Thrift Store Manager.
Volunteers are the backbone and heart of Centre Street Thrift Store. They work tirelessly to process and ensure that items are circulated back out for use at an affordable cost. Recruitment of volunteers is important, and there is a formal process to follow. All volunteers must provide a criminal background check and complete an application form, which is available at the thrift store.
All of the items sold at the thrift store are donated. Community support is overwhelming, both from the donors and customers. Surplus items are used to support other charitable organizations such as the Kidney Foundation, Hanna Ladies Auxiliary Rummage Sales, Women's Shelters and more.
Funds are provided to support community needs, and donations have been made to the Hanna Community Youth Fund, Children's camps, the Hanna Food Bank and similar needs. This year, volunteers identified food security as a focus for the donation of funds. Hanna Food Bank, the hot meal program at Lynx and the JC Charyk food program are all beneficiaries.
In-kind support is provided to individuals in need, including residents of Hanna Long Term Care. Benevolent support is provided to families in need or those requiring support.
There is no rent or lease paid to the Hanna First United Church, but some funds are allocated to assist with upkeep and operating costs.
It's a busy corner of town on opening days. Generally, the store sees anywhere from 35 to 85 customers per day. Striving to focus on providing equal service and care to all who enter through the doors, one can only marvel at the power and success of this "quaint little thrift store."
Centre Street Thrift Store is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays. They are closed for Holidays and generally between Christmas and New Years.