The not-for-profit resells donated goods at discount prices.
When Goodwill Toronto reached its first 75 years, the chapter celebrated by opening a new location, creating 30 new jobs in that community. United Way Ottawa raised millions of dollars in its 75th year.
But another Ottawa charity never had the chance to celebrate its diamond anniversary. Ottawa Neighbourhood Services was in the middle of moving out of its Richmond Road location after the property owner sold the building.
Now the Ottawa “business with a difference” has settled down at 250 City Centre Ave. and will celebrate its 80th anniversary this summer.
The local not-for-profit charity, which was founded during the Great Depression, accepts donated goods – clothes, toys, and furniture – and sells them to the community at affordable prices. ONS also provides essentials free of charge to those who cannot afford them.
“We do have an overwhelming amount of people that are in need. And I guess that’s what keeps us going,” says ONS president Patricia Lemieux. “We do try to help everyone we possibly can. This is a big reason for us asking for the community to help us out and to attend the one and only event that we have right now to support us.”
With no outside funding, ONS relies entirely on the profits made off of sold donations, and can only afford to pay their small staff of seven minimum wage. Most help comes by way of volunteers.
Their one truck, used for daily donation pick-ups, has racked up over 300,000 miles.
ONS has 68 donation bins across the city. But the drop box market is very lucrative and for-profit, out-of-town companies are taking a huge chunk of donations away from local charities.
Founder Harold Mayfield bought a four-storey Wellington Street building for his charity, as well as two additional properties on Armstrong. When ONS came into financial difficulties in the 1990s, all ONS properties were sold to pay off the debt.
Keeping Mayfield’s vision alive for 80 years has been almost as difficult as bringing it to life in the middle of the Great Depression.
The slight and sickly Mayfield – a veteran of the First World War – arrived in Ottawa after travelling throughout Canada and the U.S. He felt the effect of the depression during his travels and set about finding a way to help Ottawa’s most disadvantaged.
Mayfield played a role in establishing Goodwill chapters in Vancouver and Winnipeg but no local church, social club, or other institution wanted to help him set up shop in the capital. It wasn’t until Parkdale United Church showed interest in spreading welfare goods around town that Mayfield was able to move forward with his dream project. He eventually found support from a local club to help him launch a Goodwill chapter in Ottawa.
Mayfield worked out of a small rented store, collecting goods and reselling them at affordable prices. His Goodwill chapter eventually adopted the name Ottawa Neighbourhood Services.
Like today, ONS employed few full-time staff. Mayfield even put his wife to work as a bookkeeper for his newfound charity. Despite his ill health, Mayfield was dedicated to establishing goodwill roots in the capital. Even if he often wondered if all the hardships and setbacks were really worth it, he said he, his wife, and the few ONS workers – who might be unemployed if not for Mayfield – had “a very rich and full life.”
Lemieux has been the president of ONS for 12 years. She remembers her weekend visits to ONS when she was young. “We’d come down on Saturdays and we got used to getting up in the morning. And we kind of made it a Saturday ritual,” she says. “And there are still a lot of people that come here every Saturday. They stand outside the door just to get in to get the deals, get the bargains.”
When her husband died in the mid-90s, she donated many personal items to ONS, which was going through a series of financial problems and had plans to close. Even though Lemieux was in the middle of settling her late husband’s affairs, she asked her lawyer and accountant to help out the struggling not-for-profit. They joined ONS board members and the Ottawa community in keeping ONS operational.
“I’m glad that I’ve been able to be around for the past 12 years because certainly there have been a lot of ups-and-downs, a lot of changes,” she says, “but for the most part, I’m glad that we’re able to still assist the community and continue to help that community.”
Their 80th anniversary celebration will not see the opening of a sister store or the hiring of 30 new employees. They are relying on this event to help them get by – to help pay their rent, put gas in their truck, and reach another milestone.
“We’re back on track,” she says. “We still have a long way to go. It’s good that Ottawa Neighbourhood Services overcame the situation because instead of lasting 69 years, we’ve managed to bring it into its 80th year for celebrations. So it’s a happy time for Ottawa Neighbourhood Services now.”
The Centretown community can expect a barbecue, a big outdoor sale, a silent and a live auction, face painting, music, and a raffle for two Bluesfest passes. Mayor Jim Watson will cut the cake at the June 30 celebration, to be held at the City Centre shop.
“If everything goes well, I think we’ll do very well in the event,” says Lemieux. “Hopefully, the community will join in and continue with their support to us.”