Women in Need Society opens inner city location
The Calgary Women in Need Society (WINS) celebrated a significant milestone Friday, opening several services in the Beltline.
Located at the former headquarters of Trico Homes, the Beltline location houses a WINS Store, donation bay and a WINS Program Centre.
Similar to other WINS locations, the thrift store features gently-used clothing, shoes and home items. An adjacent donation bay will collect and redistribute donations to those in need, while other items will be sold through the thrift enterprises.
The program centre is oriented towards aiding women and their families through services and programming.
“The Beltline is an area of the city that has a diverse population,” said Karen Ramchuk, CEO and president of WINS. “There are a lot of families here, and it’s an area that has been hit hard by the pandemic. You can see behind the scenes, when you go down the alleys here, people are in trouble, so we are very pleased to be here to help and try to make a difference.”
Citing the growing demand for resources such as those offered by WINS, Ramchuk indicated there has been a sharp rise since the onset of the pandemic.
“Calgary has been hit hard from a poverty basis, we have close to 190,000 people now living in poverty in our city. Additionally, the need for support from our resource centres has gone up 25 to 40 per cent from pre-pandemic numbers,” said Ramchuk.
Eighty-four cents from every dollar of revenue is directed towards community services and programs. Ramchuk said this model of retail can provide an avenue of community investment for those looking for a way to contribute.
“It’s a way for people to give back that they might not have thought of before. If people have gently used items they would like to donate, it gives us the ability pass those items along to families in need, or sell them in our store where the revenue is redistributed to fund our programs.”
WINS now has six thrift stores throughout Calgary, in addition to the More Store located in the southeast.
With the onset of fall weather and colder temperatures, WINS officials are expecting a growing demand for winter coats, boots and accessories for both adults and children.
The WINS Beltline location is at 1005 11 Ave. S.W. More information can be found at www.winsyyc.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he does not regret calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko,' and now his MPs are renewing calls for the House of Commons Speaker to resign, this time over ordering the Official Opposition leader to leave the chamber.
Wisconsin school district says active shooter 'neutralized' outside middle school
A Wisconsin school district said an active shooter was 'neutralized' outside a middle school in Mount Horeb on Wednesday, and no one inside the building was injured.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Stranded cruise passengers in Spain race to catch up with their ship
A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a U.S. couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.
Harvey Weinstein appears in court after his New York rape conviction was overturned
Harvey Weinstein was back in a New York courtroom Wednesday for his first appearance since an appeals court last week overturned his 2020 rape conviction and ordered a new trial.
Dental care program starts accepting claims for 1 million seniors
The first seniors to register with the new federal dental care plan can now start submitting claims.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
How can I tell if I have norovirus? Expert explains symptoms
The highly contagious norovirus is spreading across Canada, with some symptoms overlapping with other viruses. CTVNews.ca spoke with a health expert to find out how you can tell you have norovirus, the most common form of stomach flu, and what to do if you have it.