By S. Tiees Morgan
Despite competition in the thrift store industry, yet another second-hand boutique has opened in Centretown.
The Bronson Community Thrift Centre, located in the basement of the Bronson Centre, is unique in its intent to give work experience to youth with developmental disabilities.
“The idea is that we’re going to basically help six people build a productive life in less than a year and we think we can do it,” says Keenan Wellar, president of the Special Needs Network (SNN) and manager of the pilot project.
He says he is not worried about competition. “We have a different objective. It’s not really intended as something that we can make a net profit, all we are out to do is to pay our rent and provide experience for the people involved.”
The Bizzy Tizzy Work Experience Program is funded by Youth Services Canada, one of the youth employment branches of Human Resources Development Canada.
In June, six young adults with developmental disabilities were chosen as the program’s first participants, and two youth were chosen to work with them as supervisors. The project runs until June but if the SNN can prove to the government that the program is worth having, Wellar says, it may continue beyond its pilot phase.
“It’s (thrift centre) worth having because it employs youth with developmental challenges such as myself,” says Jennifer Harris, one of the six participants.
Harris has a speech impediment but she says she has gained self-confidence and self-reliance since the program started four months ago. Since June, the participants worked on the thrift centre, making it ready for business in October.
Wellar says when they first moved into the centre it was an empty space of unpainted walls, with boxes and garbage everywhere. But the participants, aged 19 through 28, fixed that problem.
“It was a good experience, we did everything from painting to filling cracks to inventory,” says Harris.
The thrift centre had its first official day of business on Nov. 2. All of the items for sale were donated by individuals and organizations in the community.
“We sell everything from books and clothes to bicycles and furniture,” says Ryan Charbonneau, a supervisor at the centre.
And just about everyone seems to be checking out the items priced from 25 cents to five dollars. There are a few exceptions such as a television for $30 and a china set for $20.
“We’ve got nuns down here and people just popping in off the street who maybe take part in the groups at the Bronson Centre or just heard about it by word of mouth.”
The program’s budget is under $12,500 per month and around two-thirds of that is paid out to the eight program participants, says Wellar.
“All the people in the program are eligible for a disability benefit so the money that they are earning is basically just deducted from their benefit,” says Wellar.
The success of the project depends in large part on the pariticipants, says Wellar. “It’s kind of up to the six people involved, if they feel that their lives have changed and I think after four months we’re already getting a good indication.”