Calgary-area Salvation Army thrift stores starting to see donations ease after busy pandemic period

CALGARY -

It was hard for Salvation Army distribution manager Darren Franson to find storage for all the donations to the charity last year when COVID-19 first surfaced in Calgary.

"It was an absolute avalanche," said Franson. "We had this facility stuffed, plus we had another 30 trailers of product that we couldn't fit anywhere, and we can't process it fast enough at the stores," he said.

"So yeah, it was unbelievable the amount of stuff, you lock people up for three months, they find all kinds of things to get rid of."

It's taken months to sort through donations at the four Calgary thrift stores, one in Airdrie and another in Strathmore, along with the northeast distribution centre where Franson is the distribution manager. He says staff were seeing just about everything.

"A lot of clothing, which is what we desire the most," said Franson. "But a lot of stuff like small household items, toasters, toys, games, everything, I mean you think of it, they donated it."

Product sits on shelves for about six weeks before being removed and brought back to the warehouse, where it's sorted again.

"The clothing comes back here gets turned into 1,000-pound bales and it gets sold overseas to the secondary market," said Franson. "Then everything else, the metal, the cardboard it all gets recycled, we try our hardest to keep stuff out of the landfill."

Supervisor Nick Ingaa has worked in the warehouse for two years and also delivers new, sorted items to Thrift Stores and brings back what doesn't sell. He's seen all kinds of people, from every demographic shopping at the Salvation Army's stores.

"I would say everybody, if you are happy with thrift then we have something for you," said Ingaa.

"We have stuff that is actually brand new and has never been used that we sell on our stores, we also have stuff that's been gently used and available for someone who has a lower budget, I would say but we cater to everyone across the spectrum."

Franson says money raised through the sale of donated items at the Thrift Stores stays in the community.

"It's 100 per cent non-profit, so after all of the stores, wages and everything is taken care of, all of that profit actually stays in Calgary," said Franson.

"Within the Salvation Army regions we have a Barbara Mitchell Family Resource Center, the Center of Hope downtown, and it all stays here, it doesn't go back to corporate headquarters."

And the charity is seeing demand for its services needed now more than ever.

"We've never seen demand like this," said Franson. "Salvation Army's the largest social provider outside of the government in Canada and we don't expect anything of anybody, if there's a need we try and meet it and I've never seen it like this."

It's taken long hours to clear the warehouse of donations and recycle what's not sold, but Ingaa says it's worth it.

"Absolutely, this is fulfilling work," said Ingaa. "My work feeds the hungry, it houses the homeless you know it helps the less fortunate members of our society and to me that that wakes me up every day and brings me to work."

Learn more about the Salvation Army Thrift Stores online.