After opening toward the end of the pandemic three years ago, Calgary’s first pay-what-you-can thrift store is facing a new set of challenges — balancing moving to a new location with a constant need for donations.
Yet co-founder of Good Neighbour Community Market, Alice Lam, said the location change has been a blessing in disguise, demonstrating just how much community support the non-profit has.
“It was probably one of the hardest things that we’ve ever had to go through, but also one of the greatest things because it really showed us how much of the non-profit sector really wanted to support and help us find a new location,” she said.
When the market first opened, it was a continuation of a free community fridge program Lam had set up in Crescent Heights. She said people were also interested in donating items besides food, so she decided to expand to include clothing and other basic necessities.
Originally located near The Bow skyscraper and Chinatown, Lam said they were evicted in September with 30 days notice to pack up their 6,000-square-foot storefront.
Fortunately, space was available in the basement of the Central United Church on 7th Avenue. Through their Outreach Hub, the church provides meals and clothing to vulnerable people in the city.
Lam said the church’s outreach program aligned closely with their values of providing anyone who needs it with barrier-free access to clothing and other necessities, like toiletries and non-perishable food items.
“We’re able to collaborate with so many other frontline supporters for unhoused and low-income people and introduce them to more services that are available,” Lam said.
Adapting their model
Before finding the church location, Lam said they were considering a pop-up-only model, partnering with various community centres and non-profits to bring clothing to people. Even though they have a solid brick-and-mortar, Lam said this is still something they’re considering.
“I think that even if Good Neighbor couldn’t have a storefront like it has now, I think that our idea of popping-up is what would be great for the community,” she said. “That’s another component of our new model is being able to bring clothing to the non-profits that need it.”
Lam said the pop-up model also involves going to people to collect donations, instead of requiring them to drive downtown and drop them off themselves. Especially following the pandemic, many people said they wanted to donate but didn’t have the time to go through their closets, she said.
“That’s why we’ve tried to limit these barriers by doing donation pickups from people,” Lam said.
Through all the changes, however, Lam said they continue to maintain their approach to offering a dignified way for people to get the support they need. Good Neighbour primarily serves low-income and unhoused populations, where asking for help is often stigmatized, Lam said.
“What we’re trying to do is just be like, ‘Hey, no questions asked. If you need it, take it. If you can give back one day, that’s great. Pay it forward in your own communities. Pay it forward by being nice to somebody. But we don’t need anything here,’” she said.
Sometimes there is often a hierarchy within the charity structure, said Raka Iqbal, who has volunteered with Good Neighbour since its early days. While many charities focus more on designating resources to those deemed in the greatest need, Good Neighbour is all about providing choice, Iqbal said.
“Clothing is, like, very personal, and people should be able to choose what they want to wear,” she said. “What I really enjoy about volunteering at Good Neighbour is that we can give people that choice.”
Donations and volunteers the backbone of the organization
Despite the success of their approach, Lam said the ebb and flow of the donation cycle contributes to a constant need for donations. Men’s clothing, specifically, she said, is something they are always looking for.
“It probably only makes up about 15 per cent of our stock,” Lam said, adding most of the vulnerable populations who visit their store are male.
Iqbal adds demand is highest for professional and work clothing, since many cannot afford expensive dress clothes or workwear such as steel-toed boots and outdoor gear.
“We’ve had tons of people come to us and say, ‘I have a job interview,’ but they’re like, ‘I don’t have anything that’s business casual,’” Iqbal said.
Access to workwear and professional apparel is about more than just clothing, Iqbal said, explaining how it can help people secure job interviews which can lead to being able to afford housing.
“We’ve had tons of clients come up to us and say, ‘Because of the help that you were able to give us I’ve been able to get a job. I’ve been able to secure housing.”
Lam emphasizes that in addition to donations, volunteers are a core part of ensuring their organization can continue.
“Without all the help and volunteers that we get, Good Neighbor couldn’t exist,” she said, adding a lot of effort goes into training volunteers so they can best support vulnerable people.
For Iqbal, Good Neighbour’s emphasis on a community-centred approach different from other non-profits is what originally drew her in.
“What was really different from past experiences is that it wasn’t super top-down,” she said. “Everyone was there because they wanted to work together to create the best environment.”
Anyone who wants to get involved with Good Neighbour, whether through volunteering or donations, can contact them at goodneighbouryyc@gmail.com.
Editor’s note: This article was completed as part of a Community Service Learning course at MRU