Work on a new and bigger home for the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is progressing.
Renovators have been busy converting the old Golden Place Hot Pot Buffet at 1645 Third Ave., next to Nechako Lanes bowling alley, and have reached the point where an opening date of early October is now anticipated.
Once up and running, it will provide nearly double the space of its current 1180 Third Ave. location.
"We're really excited about that, to be able to offer more product and to be able to display it nicer and to give people more room to wander around," St. Vincent de Paul board member Mary Kranrod said Thursday.
She said the dry walling is nearly completed, the drop ceiling will go in within the next few days with painting and installation of plank flooring to follow. But there is still work to do and a call has been put out for donations of fixtures and help: a toilet, sink and grab bars suitable for handicapped patrons; a toilet and sink for the staff washroom; trollies for moving product; a new chain link fence for the back of the property; patching of the concrete sidewalk out front; and volunteers to help paint the exterior, put up some signage and put in the flooring.
Anyone who can help on those fronts is asked to call Bob Dewhirst at 250-613-9499 or Laura Langley at 250-640-0000.
The charity had been looking for a new home for some time but wanted a spot in the downtown because most of the people it serves live in the area. About half the clothing and furnishings it receives go out to clients at no cost through a voucher program. The rest of the money goes back into maintaining the store and the charity's soup kitchen and drop-in centre at Second and Dominion.
With the new location, there is also a hope it will attract more volunteers.
"We were literally tripping over each other at times," Kranrod said of the conditions in the back of the old store. "This is a bigger, brighter area, we're going to need more volunteers to help man it, for sure."
Kranrod has been a volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul for many years and said it's been a lot of fun.
"It's enjoyable and it's just good to know that you're giving back to the community," she said. "It's a nice feeling."
Those interested can simply drop into the store.
The costs of acquiring the site and getting it into shape has run up a roughly $500,000 bill for the charity, so among the tasks to follow is a fundraising campaign. That effort will include a high tea and fashion show on Sun., Sept. 17 at the Columbus Community Centre, 7201 Domano Blvd., 12:30-3:30 p.m.
