Nu2U, the town-owned thrift store in Olds, is urging people not to forget them just because the Christmas season is winding down.
Nu2U supervisor Barb Adair says from January through spring, the need for donations is greater than ever.
“People are very generous with donations throughout the year but in January/February our donations get really slow. So I would encourage people to remember us after Christmas and into the winter months,” Adair says.
“We're struggling to fill our shelves in January and February every year – linens and everything, not just one part of it,” she adds.
Just before Christmas, Nu2U gave out its semi-annual cheques to non-profits, etc., via profits earned by the store. The total came to just over $16,200, far below last year at this time, when Nu2U gave out about $30,000.
Following are the groups that received cheques and the amounts they were given: Yes Program, $5,000; Olds 4-H Multiclub, $600; Deer Meadow Hockey Academy, $1,000; Olds College TryActive, $3,640; Olds and District Hospice, $5,000; Olds High School Workplace Readiness, $1,000.
Adair says they'd love to provide more money to deserving groups. Each time they meet to allocate money, they receive applications for much more than they can bestow, but it's an even greater challenge this year, thanks to the downturn in the economy.
“It's been a tougher year for us, like everybody. And the rent went up in our building. So those two things combined made it so that there's not so much money to give out,” she says.
“The store still feels as busy. We just think we're not getting the large donations, like the expensive things in. We're thinking that people are saving those to sell themselves if they need money for day-to-day living.”
That said, Adair notes Nu2U “did really well over the Christmas season.”
“In the back we have this almost single car garage size shed (that was) more than half full of Christmas donations – right to the roof of the thing, and we sold all that – plus more,” she says.
Adair figures that's because people were looking for one-of-kind, different Christmas items.
"The store still feels as busy. We just think we're not getting the large donations, like the expensive things in. We're thinking that people are saving those to sell themselves if they need money for day-to-day living."BARB ADAIR SUPERVISOR Nu2U
