FEBRUARY 2025
THRIFT VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
Keeping our valued volunteers informed
GM’s Corner I went to the hardware store to buy some lightbulbs for my house. I was shocked to see a four-pack of the bulbs for $24 or $6 a bulb. I decided to buy a Thrift on Kent bulb instead. I think many could relate to my experience—prices everywhere seem out of whack from what we’re used to. This is a main reason why the store is doing so well—we sell good quality items at an affordable price. This is important to us and is reflected in our mission statement: • To raise funds for MCC • To promote stewardship of resources • To sell quality donated items at a reasonable cost • To help alleviate poverty by providing affordable goods • To offer opportunities for service • To raise awareness of the mission of MCC Some of you may not know, but there is a large reseller market in our area. These individuals comb through our store to find items they can buy and resell for higher. If they find a good deal, they will buy everything in stock. On one hand, I’m happy we sold it. On the other hand, I wonder: “Who are we serving
… what is our mission.” If those in need must pay an even higher price to someone else (a reseller), or are left with less desirable, picked-over items on our shelves, we are not fulfilling our mission. It can be challenging to find the right balance. In this time when we all experience the frustration of prices going up, staff hear many comments about pricing from our volunteers. They range from “Wow, what a good value” to “We get it for free; you shouldn’t charge much” and everything in between. As a staff team, we adjust to a changing economy and use data to determine pricing to avoid being picked over. We want to honour our donors, our hardworking volunteers, our customers and our mission. As inflation raised prices of everything, we too have raised prices—to remain in balance with our mission. We appreciate your understanding and support. We priced the bulb I wanted at $2—affordable and below market price for a brand-new one. That makes me a happy customer!
Kent Buhrke General Manager MCC Thrift on Kent
New: Inclusion Solution Group The purpose of this group is to hear from any volunteers who require some accommodations to do their job well. Part of MCC’s mission is peacebuilding, which includes breaking down barriers for volunteers and all who come through our doors. We want to hear feedback and, rather than lay blame, to come up with solutions together so that everyone feels heard and supported. With all the changes that have been happening, we need to hear your experience about what is working and what is not and how we can continue to make TOK a positive and welcoming environment for all our volunteers. If this interests you, please let Giselle know soon, and we will set up a time to meet in February.