Non-profit clothing stores in downtown Victoria, which provide a vital service to residents in need of a fresh start, have noticed new styles and spending habits among their clientele since the onset of the pandemic.
The bright, baby blue building of the WIN Resale Shop at 785 Pandora Ave. stands out next to the muted colours of the street and helps endear the non-profitB次元官网网址檚 flagship store to clients.
B次元官网网址淚 truly believe that the items at WIN are really curated,B次元官网网址� said Jasmine Philips, the storeB次元官网网址檚 marketing coordinator and a self-professed devotee to VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 thrifting scene. B次元官网网址淚 really like to find the cool, vintage, collectable items B次元官网网址� the stock is really unique.B次元官网网址�
Last year, the organization provided 68 young families with a total of $49,583 to spend on in-house furniture and appliances and bring them from transitional to permanent housing.
| Shaonie Auclair-Bergeron, an employee of WIN Resale Shop, browses a selection of the non-profit store's jackets. (Kiernan Green/B次元官网网址 Staff) |
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Wear2Start Society receives hundreds of donations of womenB次元官网网址檚 clothes a year. Since 2001, theyB次元官网网址檝e lined the small walls of a second-floor room in the Maynard Court office building at 733 Johnson St. just beside MillieB次元官网网址檚 Lane. In that time, theyB次元官网网址檝e outfitted over 4,500 low-income and female-identifying clients for opportunities such as job or tenant interviews.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of women, when they first come to see us, had a lot of challenges in their lives. Their self-esteem is low,B次元官网网址� manager Tracy Lubick said. Such clients can leave an hour later with custom-picked and donated formal wear, B次元官网网址渏ust with her posture, itB次元官网网址檚 as if sheB次元官网网址檚 grown a couple of inches.B次元官网网址�
Through the business challenges that have accompanied the pandemic, both charitable societies have noticed new trends and needs from their clientele. B次元官网网址淥nce we reopened, every single client asked for leggings,B次元官网网址� Lubick said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not something that we usually carried, leggings before were more casual. (But) thatB次元官网网址檚 just a sign of the times.B次元官网网址�
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When it came to supplying low-cost appliances such as toasters and microwaves, pots and pans and the like, Philips said donations to WIN hit an all-time low in 2020; almost non-existent. The lack of donations indicated to her VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 frugality in replacing their appliances during the pandemic, she said.
The effect of hard times were seen in new faces at Wear2Start, as well.
B次元官网网址淢idway through (2020), we had one woman come in who said she had lost her job B次元官网网址� she kept going as long as she could trying to find other work, but she found herself standing in line at the food bank,B次元官网网址� Lubick said. B次元官网网址淪he was so embarrassed by it. Never in her life did she think she was going to be somebody who needed a food bank.B次元官网网址�
The woman heard about Wear2StartB次元官网网址檚 free hairdressing program talking to another woman in line.
Access to WINB次元官网网址檚 New Start charitable gift card programs has also increased about 50 per cent annually since 2020.
B次元官网网址淭hese are newcomers to Victoria, people who are struggling at the moment, women leaving transitional housing,B次元官网网址� Philips said. Charitable gift cards allow them to choose what they need from the store and access it discretely, she added.
Changing styles and levels of donation wonB次元官网网址檛 eliminate the need or hinder the service provided by either clothing non-profit, Lubick said.
B次元官网网址淎s much as we donB次元官网网址檛 like to admit it, we base our opinions on somebody within the first 30 seconds of meeting them, just by how they appear B次元官网网址� if (clients) are going to meet with a potential landlord and they want to be seen as a viable candidate, especially with how competitive rentals are right now, one piece (of that) is looking presentable and professional.B次元官网网址�
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