Thrift Shop bursting at the seams as donations come in by the truckload

Community Care’s Thrift Shop is bursting with donated items.

Volunteers at Community Care for Seniors Thrift Shop at 153 Main Street in Picton report the store is bursting at the seams.

“Many people have spent time at home during the pandemic cleaning and sorting their closets, basements and garages. They’ve been donating like never before,” said Debbie MacDonald Moynes, executive director of Community Care for Seniors.

“It’s a new experience for everyone involved at the Thrift Shop. People are literally bringing truckloads of great things to donate and our volunteers are struggling with handling the volume.”

She notes however, that the Thrift Shop team is grateful and everyone feels fortunate that people are so willing to donate their good used items, as sale proceeds fund programs to help seniors live at home.

In response to the huge backlog of donated items the organizers held storewide half-price and bag sales as a strategy to reduce stock. The week of October 5-9th the store will be closed while volunteers sort the remaining stock and make room for the newly donated items. A grand reopening is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 13th at 1pm with all COVID-19 protocols in place.

Anyone wishing to make a donation of good used items will be asked to leave their name and contact information. A volunteer will call them back to make an appointment to donate to the Thrift Shop.

MacDonald Moynes says “it might be a couple weeks wait time to get an appointment so we’re asking for everyone to be patient while we work our way through this situation.”

Call the Thrift Shop at 613-476-1555 to put your name on the list for an appointment to drop off your donations. Donors are asked not to go to the shop without an appointment as the volunteers won’t be able to accommodate them. “It just wouldn’t be fair to those who have made an appointment.”

The Prince Edward County Community Care for Seniors Association offers services such as hot and frozen Meals on Wheels, foot care, grocery pick up & delivery, help with forms (including Income Tax), respite, home maintenance, light housekeeping, rural route reassurance and telephone reassurance programs. The agency is partly funded by the Ministry of Health and supported by donations and community fundraising efforts, such as Community Care’s Thrift Shop at 153 Main Street. The Community Care office is located at 74 King Street in Picton and is open by appointment only.

For more information call Community Care at 613-476-7493 or www.communitycareforseniors.org