At the front of the Crossroads Thrift Store, before the doors are even unlocked to the Coquitlam business, a line-up forms outside with about half-a-dozen shoppers.
It’s a smaller group this morning, a volunteer tells the Tri-City News today, Aug. 20: Tuesdays are typically busy because the store is closed on Mondays and Thursdays are the big thrifting sales day, so the shop tends to be packed. Saturday is also jammed “because it’s the weekend and everyone’s out,” she said.
But, this week, staff and the 160 volunteers are expecting a lot of foot traffic as the Barnet Highway store that supports the Crossroads Hospice Society is slashing everything 50 per cent off to celebrate a milestone: the store’s 20th anniversary.
Started in 2004 at another space along Barnet, near the Port Moody border, the current Crossroads Thrift Store has been in its current location since 2011.
Today, it brings in around 40 per cent of the revenues needed to operate the 10-bed hospice at 101 Noons Creek Dr., in Port Moody, said Jackie Gorton, who took over last year as the society’s executive director after six years on its board.
“If we didn’t have a store then we would have to make some serious decisions about funding our hospice because Fraser Health doesn’t pay for it all,” she said.
According to her annual report, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, the 2023–24 period was the thrift store’s most successful year to date, generating 42 per cent of society's revenues to pay for items like salaries, grief programs, facilities and equipment.
Last year, the society had 130 patients in the hospice that opened 21 years ago.
Gorton credits the thrift store volunteers for keeping things running so smoothly: Some travel in from outside the Tri-Cities for a four-hour shift, or more, weekly.
And, with about 15 volunteers in the store when it’s open, each helper has a job to do like pricing, running the till, sorting through donations or repurposing.
In total, they donated more than 33,000 hours to run the store last year.
“We have many volunteers because they are connected to the hospice and want to be part a good cause,” Gorton said. “They also want a community connection.”
“It gets me out of the house and gives me something to,” quipped Derrick Parker, a Coquitlam resident known as “Grumps” who started volunteering at the store after retiring in 2017.
“It gives me a lot of pleasure to help and I’m making friends.”
Do you have some spare hours to give to the Crossroads Thrift Store? Call 604-949-0459 or email [email protected]. The shop is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Still, the thrift store is not the only Crossroads fundraiser marking an anniversary: the Crossroads Coffeehouse music series, in Port Coquitlam, is also 25 this month.
And on Nov. 16, the society will return with its signature event: Treasures of Christmas, happening at The Show Theatre at the Great Canadian Casino.
Tickets for the 19+ event are on sale soon; the early-bird sale for $165 seats ends Oct. 1.
Did you know Crossroads Hospice Society offers a free grief and loss support program for youth, young adults and adults? You can visit the society’s website for details.
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