Letter to the ReGifting Store ......

Februarv1 .2010
Dear Regifting Store,
My name is ************* and I work as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Vancouver's
WHO (Winter Hospitality Overflow) Program. WHO, a partnership between Share,
Council for the Homeless, and more than 40 faith-based and community organizations,
ensures additional shelter space for homeless men, women, couples and families from
November 1-March 31 and is now in its seventh year.
We try to provide the shelter guests with more than just a place to sleep. One thing that seems to help ease stress and brighten peoples' faces is art-any kind of art -I came in to the Regifting Store to try and find supplies I could use for art projects with the shelter guests: things llke magazines for making collages.
The Regifting Store is an incredible place! One of the guests at our family shelter, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, came in last week with business cards for the Regifting Store and put them up on the WHO resource board for the other guests. She raved
enthusiastically about the work you do. I thought you might like to hear how the word
gets spread.
Thank you for your help!

The ReGifting Store needs your Support ....

Tomorrow will be a fantastic day at the ReGifting Store. We have 3 families that are coming to us because they have found places to live after staying in shelters and similar situations. I spoke with these people at the store over the past few days and told them to come in Monday when they have the keys and are ready to make their place a home. They are moving in with nothing but a few bags of essentials. We, as a community can change that. The ReGifting Store will be providing them with furniture, dishes, bedding, lamps, tv's, alarm clocks, food and anything else that will make their house a home. We will do this at no cost to the families. Your donations are greatly needed at the ReGifting Store to help make houses into places families can call home........

I am not a church goer .......

I have never been a church goer. I've been to church for weddings and funerals but never sat through a service on a Sunday Morning, until today when I attended the service at Lord's Gym. I went to support a friend that I met at The ReGifting Store. His name is Don and he was speaking at the church today with his brother Bud.




Don spoke about his struggles with addiction for over 30 years of his life, the choices he made broke the hearts of everyone who loved him. He only loved his addiction. He has been clean for 6 months, I have only known him for the past 3. I have never known the man who chose drugs and alcohol over everything else in his life but I do know that the man he is today. He is a caring, hard working gentleman that I admire with all my heart for breaking through a life-long struggle and making the choice to change.





He will tell you that it was the help of his friend Korry and his beliefs in God that got him on the road to recovery.




I will tell you that it is people like Don, that inspire me to follow the heart of The ReGifting Store and "Above all else, Love one another".

The Regifting Store is Expanding!

Through a generous donation from Bowers Steel, the ReGifting Store was able to expand into the office space next door. Giving us an additional 600 sq feet to be used as additional retail space. We are truly excited about the expansion and invite you to come see the new clothing corner!

Wowsers 50 cents for Clothes!

I spent nearly 4 hours the other night sorting through all of the clothes we had in our backroom. We pulled out all the racks and set up tables FULL of clothes out front and guess what..... they are only 50 cents each! I am serious 50 cents for ANY clothing item. Today I was selling name brands like, Nike, Addias, Columbia, Aeropostal, Abercrombie, Gap, Children's Place, Levis and more... We are talking jeans, coats, sweaters, dresses.....truly a great place to stock up!

Merry Christmas .........

On Sunday we had Santa visit us at the ReGifting Store. It was a wonderful event hosted to support our community. It was a real party with friends, live music, food, drinks, Santa and toys. We took over 100 pictures of children with Santa all at no charge. We received gifts from the community with a large portion of them coming from a giving tree set up at Studio 162 and we were able to give every child a gift and still had some leftover to hand out the next couple of days. Food boxes and turkeys were donated to the store and handed out to families in need. It was a day I will remember for ever! Thank you to everyone who joined the party and especially to the ladies at Studio 162 for your generosity!!




My battery died on my camera and I wasn't able to get anymore pictures. If you have some you would like to share please feel free to contact me!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

The ReGifting Store will be offering free pictures with Santa on December 20th from 12-5. Be sure to stop by and visit us!