The Thrift Shop

Have you ever been to a mortgage burning? The church mortgage was paid by the Thrift Shop with the final payment made by the end of December 2006. Yahoo!

With humble beginnings as a U.C.W. rummage sale more then twenty five years ago the shop has undergone three major expansions as well as turning into a major outreach project supporting local and international charities.

Thrift Shop Donations for 2000-2005 totaled $413,000.00 and went to kids invent toys, Capital City Leaders of Tomorrow, W.I.N. Program, Parkland Head Injury Program, Light Up Your Life, Spruce Grove Specialized Transit Service, Parkland Turning Points Society, Wee Care, Neighborlonk Parkland, Postpartum Depression Support Group, and the St. Andrew's United church Mortgage.

Building Expansion

The need for expanded facilities and control over unwanted junk reached crisis proportions in 2004.

Monday morning in 2003. We never planned on running a free dump service!The neighbors were complaining.	The overloaded sorting area in 2003

The Thrift Shop had bought the lot next door some years ago and undertook a very ambitious expansion project. A great deal of volunteer work had to be done starting with city development permits and input from the Church Board, Presbytery, and Congregational approval of the budget.

Rockliff Pierzchajlo architects were hired to do the plans and we were fortunate to get Kalen Project Management to manage building construction. Quite a bit of volunteer sweat equity also went into construction of the addition which opened in March, 2005.

The new expansion doubled the retail space, is handicapped accessible, includes larger sorting areas, an office, and a deep basement with a freight elevator.

Some pictures of the shop after the latest expansion are below. At this time (April, 2007) the shop has a mortgage of just under $300,000.00 and the plan is to use money formerly used for the Church Mortgage to pay this down.

The original entrance has been sealed off	View from Church Road and Main Street
The new addition with the entrance in the shade.	The north side "Donation Door".
The clothing area.	The Bridal Shop.
Part of the book area.	The checkout counter and miscellaneous area.

Location:

N.W. corner of Main Street and Church Road.

From Highway 16A: Turn North on King Street, left on Jesperson Avenue (City Hall), then left on Main Street. Map

Hours

Monday to Wednesday: 10:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.

Thursday: 10:00 A.M. to 8:30 P.M.

Friday:10:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.

Saturday: 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Sunday: CLOSED

Statutory Holidays and long week ends: CLOSED

Donations:

Please bring donations inside through the North facing double doors during regular hours of operation. Our development agreement with the city requires fencing with the gates to be closed and locked outside of regular hours of operation. Pleas do not leave item outside of the fence.

Donations not Accepted:

Basically anything the government does not want you to be selling at a garage sale.

Mattresses and box springs (Public Health regulations), Sofas (No room!), microwave ovens that don't meet current safety standards, non -working and console TV's, Large furniture items require the manager's approval, and hazardous materials e.g. white gas.

Staff

Paid staff includes a paid manager, a full time helper, two part time people, and a contracted janitor.

We have up to 100 dedicated volunteers who have fun sorting and pricing clothes, housewares, etc, as well as anything else that needs doing. We could really use more, especially cashiers.

Thank you for your support.