"It's great to have more space because the Thrift Shop was completely full but now we have lots of room for donated items" enthused volunteer Marilyn Dean who is one of over 50 people who volunteer at Community Care's Thrift Shop. Over the winter the Thrift Shop second floor has been cleaned and painted in preparation for becoming an additional 2000 square feet of display space for customers to browse the wares.
Debbie MacDonald Moynes accepts a certificate from
Mayor Leo Finnegan, marking the occasion of the
Grand Opening of Community Care's Thrift Shop expansion.
Community Care opened the Thrift Shop in 2002 to provide a stable fundraising stream to support the programs and services that help seniors stay living at home. With 1700 square feet of display space on the main level and the same amount of storage space in the basement, the shop was filled to the brim. "People in this community are wonderful donors to the shop and we have lots of great things to sell" said Maureen Finnegan, a volunteer who works Fridays in the Shop.
To deal with the space shortage, the agency approached the landlord about using the second floor as more display space. The winter months were spent sprucing it up and rearranging things in preparation for the grand opening of the Thrift Shop second floor which was held on Tuesday, May 2'nd when a ribbon was cut and refreshments served.
L-R Lori Markland, Marilyn Dean, Lorraine Logan,
John Jackson (Treasurer), Joyce Aulthouse, Mayor Leo
Finnegan, Maureen Finnegan (Vice Chair of Community
Care's Board) cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the
Thrift Shop Second Floor on Tuesday, May 2, 2006.
"The staff of the Thrift Shop is entirely made up of volunteers" according to Debbie MacDonald Moynes, Executive Director. "Over 50 volunteers provide customer service, sort, clean, repair and price the goods. The volunteers are just thrilled to have the extra space to display the wide array of goods that are donated to the Shop," she said.
All of the funds raised at the Thrift Shop are used to support the programs for seniors that are offered by Community Care. Prince Edward Community Care for Seniors has been supporting seniors to live independently at home since 1977. Services include Meals on Wheels, transportation to medical appointments, noon-time dinners for seniors, foot care, help with forms, rural route reassurance and telephone reassurance programs. This spring the agency is adding a Home Help/Homemaking program to it's list of services. Seniors are encouraged to call if they need assistance with light housekeeping. The agency is partly funded by the Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care and supported by donations and community fundraising efforts.
