Announces major expansion plans
The Morden Community Thrift Store had more than one reason to celebrate Monday as it announced its fall round of community grants.
The organization distributed $94,000 in funding to a dozen organizations serving the community in and around Morden, but representatives also used the occasion to reveal expansion plans.
“It’s not as much as we usually give … we’ve hit the point where we need to expand on our store, so we purchased a three quarter acre lot across the street,” said president Kent Noel.
“Our future plans are to design and build and put up a second structure,” he explained. “The building we’re in right now, this will be clothing and housewares and some of the smaller items, and the new store will be for the bigger items such as furniture and sporting equipment.
“We don’t have space right now to take a lot of furniture. We can take little bits here and there, but we need a place where we can actually set up a store with furniture,” said Noel. “There’s a growing need out there, and we’re going to do our best to fulfill it.”
And he noted the need for more volunteers will be limited as they believe the new building could be run with just three or four people, as it won’t have the same need for people to sort through donations and fix things up.
As for the fall grants, the largest recipient was the Menzies Medical Centre, which was presented with $35,000 for new chairs, curtains, and flooring in connection to its renovations and expansion.
Other grants included:
• $10,000 each to Many Hands Resource Centre for the food bank, 500 Stephen Community Centre for operations including a large screen TV and other resources, and Morden Police Service for a canine officer vest and a bite suit.
• $5,000 each to Big Brothers Big Sisters for its mentoring program, Knightcot cemetery at Thornhill for a new fence, Prairie Crossroads School for a building project and sports equipment, and Pembina Counselling for financial assistance to defray costs.
• $3,000 each to Small Wonders Nursery School for supplies and outdoor space and the Morden Multicultural Winterfest for bus service costs between pavilion locations.
• $2,000 to Rock Lake United Church Camp for assistance with upgrades.
• $1,000 to Morden Christmas Cheer Board to help with expenses.
Noel emphasized how it is community support which makes this all possible.
“With the community donating what they donate to us, it’s mind blowing how much they actually give … it keeps on coming in,” he said, adding they have some donors from as far away as Winnipeg and Brandon.
“We take a look at everybody who hands in a request, and we try to fulfill everybody’s wishes to the best of our ability,” he added, noting that “police, medical and fire, that’s protective services for our community, and they’re very prime for us .”
