When you barter for a bargain at this thrift boutique, your purchase assists women and children in Sooke in desperate need of support.

The Sooke Transition House SocietyB次元官网网址檚 Thrift Boutique, which opened Sept. 24, offers an array of clothing and accessories for women and children at a price based on a suggested donation, said Crystal Gelsinger, executive director of the Sooke WomenB次元官网网址檚 Transition House Society.

All of the proceeds go toward funding STHS programs that provide counselling for victims of abuse or trauma, such as Stopping the Violence for women, the Peace Program for children ages three to 18, and Outreach, which assists survivors of abuse with everything they need to transition into new safe housing, Gelsinger explained.

B次元官网网址淭he need for assistance and safe housing has drastically increased,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淧opulation growth and the effects of the COVID pandemic have created a lot of dire situations for women and children in our community. Our transition house has been consistently full for the past year, and all of our programs have a wait list. We get numerous calls every day and have to find housing for them elsewhere. ItB次元官网网址檚 sad when you canB次元官网网址檛 provide support for them in the community they call home.B次元官网网址�

That underscores the importance of the goal for opening the thrift store, which is to raise enough funding to expand the number of people the STHS can assist and to provide additional counselling.

If the first day the boutique opened is any indication, it is off to a good start, Gelsinger noted.

B次元官网网址淲e raised $815 on the first day,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hat was very surprising, and people were extremely generous.B次元官网网址�

The Thrift Boutique is at 6734 West Coast Rd. next to the Post Office. It is open to the public to shop or make donations from 11 a.m. to p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and is available for Sooke Transition House Society clients only Monday to Thursday. If you would like to make a donation but need assistance with pick up, email STHS.ED@gmail.com.

Although they are going with Thrift Boutique, for the time being, Gelsinger said theyB次元官网网址檙e open to suggestions for a new name.

Maybe something that reflects the community or the work the society does, she added.

For more information, visit

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