The Morden Community Thrift Store is helping out 20 community organizations with its spring grants.
The Thrift Store handed out $142,800 in grants Monday morning to a wide variety of organizations and community sectors.
“That just shows the need for our community. It just shows how much we are needed in our community,” said president Kent Noel.
“We try to give to everybody,” he noted. “They might just not get what they’re asking for because we have budget constraints as well, but we try to our best to give everybody what we can.”
There was also more reason to celebrate as Noel announced the thrift store was finally ready to move ahead with plans for a second building.
Construction of the new building which will go up directly to the east of the existing building starts in July.
“It’s been a long process. It’s about three years in the works getting this going, and we finally finalized everything probably about six weeks ago,” said Noel.
“The new building will be for furniture, sporting goods and electrical,” he noted. “It’ll be an 8,000 square foot floor space, where our current store is 5,000 sq. ft. With the new store, that opens up the old store with 2,000 more square feet of housewares and clothing … right now, that’s our number one sellers.”
Some of the major grants handed out included Regional Connections receiving $25,000 for their new building fund, while Western School Division got $20,000 for the track and soccer field at Ecole Discovery Trails School. Menzies Medical Centre earned $15,000 for doctor recruitment, and the Morden Curling Club got $10,000 for structural upgrade while Big Brothers Big Sisters received $10,000 for mentorship funding assistance.
Katie Cares received $6,000 for their common room expansion, and the Morden Activity Centre got $5,500 for various workshops and a glass door refrigerator.
Grants of $5,000 went to each of the following: Prairie Crossroads School for their music program, Manitou Ag Society for the community centre upgrade, Morden Adult Education Centre for upgrading technology and enhanced learning program, Morden Collegiate safe grad for financial support, Many Hands for food hampers and financial support and Child and Family Services of Manitoba to send kids to camp.
Morden Family Resource Centre received $2,600 for rent, insurance and two programs. The following four each received $2,500 – Morden and Area Christmas Cheer for financial support, Youth for Christ for an industrial dishwasher, 500 Stephen for transportation vouchers and Rock Lake United Church Camp for kitchen upgrades.
The Central Youth Choir received $2,000 for financial assistance, while Prairie Soundscape received $1,700 for financial assistance.
At an earlier date, the thrift store gave the Morden Collegiate $8,000 for scholarship for eight graduating students. Also $500 was given to BTHC for flowers for their outdoor flower beds.
Noel expressed thanks all who donate items and shop at the thrift store as well as the volunteers who do a great job of sorting, cleaning, fixing, pricing and stocking the shelves.
“It’s community support that made this happen,” he stressed. “Without our donations, we’re not here.”
