Funding community infrastructure one ball of yarn at a time

Walking into the Humboldt Good Neighbour Store, thrifters never know what they’re going to find. Are they going to walk out with their next favourite outfit, the perfect bookshelf for their office, or a beautiful vase they just can’t leave behind? One thing is for sure, with every donation and every purchase, local thrifters are helping out worthwhile causes across Humboldt and the surrounding area.

Running on the power of donations and the time of around 140 volunteers from all over the Humboldt area, the second-hand store has given donations to local charities to the collective tune of $5 million since first opening in 1992. This past December, they gave out $463,000 to 61 Humboldt and area non-profit organizations and school programs during their annual distribution day, a time when organizations receive their cheques and talk about how they’re going to use the money to better their communities.

With only two paid part-time staff members, utilities to pay, and a building to maintain, what remains of the store’s yearly revenue is given out to support local organizations.

Lisa Owen, current chairperson of the Good Neighbour Store board, said they rarely turn anything away, and items unsuited for resale are recycled, if possible.

“Anything we can do to keep it out of the landfill, we do,” she says.

The board takes funding applications from community organizations throughout the year. Unfortunately, they can’t help everyone, Owen laments, but they take a good look at who is helping the most people.

“Where are we getting the best bang for our buck, and are we looking after all of the people in our community? That’s why we give to daycares, we give to seniors homes, we give to certain school programs.”
 

Strengthening rural health care 
Two organizations have now received over $1 million in funding from the Good Neighbour Store.

Executive director Lorrie Bunko, says the Humboldt District Health Foundation Inc., which raises funds for equipment at the Humboldt District Health Complex, is nearly at the $2-million mark after being the first to reach that million dollar milestone back in 2021.

Saskatchewan Health Authority dollars are an investment into operations and staffing costs, but it’s up to community organizations, like health-care foundations, to fundraise for priority equipment.

Humboldt’s hospital is an advanced rural health-care facility, classified as a hub for emergency service, says Bunko. If they can maintain or expand the services available, that takes pressure off facilities in Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert. Saskatchewan Health Authority dollars are an investment into operations and staffing costs, but it’s up to community organizations, like health-care foundations, to fundraise for priority equipment, explains Bunko.

“If the needs of the hospital are hovering around half a million to a million dollars a year, and we as a foundation aren’t able to bring in donations at that level, we are potentially risking the services that are offered here. We have an enhanced service health-care facility, and it’s up to us to ensure that we retain all of our services and then work on expanding those services.”

To honour the store’s $1-million contribution to the foundation, the day surgery waiting area in the Humboldt District Health Complex was named for the Good Neighbour Store in 2022. The thrift store has been instrumental in funding equipment campaigns throughout the years, says Bunko. Donations from 2024 will go to support diagnostic imaging purchases, including a $100,000 biochem analyzer that is currently on the foundation’s wish list, she says, but their total wish list for last year was $850,000, with another $936,000 wish list coming in 2025. The wish lists of hospitals across the province are extensive given the drive to keep health care close to home in rural Saskatchewan. Comparing the amount of money donated by the Good Neighbour Store to the money invested in the hospital each year, Bunko says it’s easy to see the impact the Good Neighbour Store will continue to have.

“When you’re looking at a $125,000 donation, and [the foundation] is spending anywhere from $300,000 to half a million dollars a year investing into the hospital, they [Good Neighbour Store] are supporting a big part of that funding.” Bunko adds that, “We have this little gem that we can access to celebrate and to make living day to day a little bit easier, and that little gem in our community then gives back to the district by supporting other organizations so they can build on the good within their areas.”

The wish lists of hospitals across the province are extensive given the drive to keep health care close to home in rural Saskatchewan

St. Mary’s Villa provides continuing care to the Humboldt area with 85 long-term beds available. Following the 2024 distribution day, the corresponding St. Mary’s Villa Foundation joined the hospital foundation in being a million dollar Good Neighbour Store recipient. 

The foundation is currently raising $5 million for equipment and furnishings for a brand new long-term care home in Humboldt, explains executive director Donna Muench, so every dollar donated from the Good Neighbour Store will go toward reaching that goal.

“We’ve got a ways to go, but the assistance from the Good Neighbor Store helps us get there a whole lot quicker,” she says.

Taking care of the whole community
Owen’s mother-in-law and the spouses of many Good Neighbour Store volunteers currently reside in St. Mary’s Villa, which is another important place to build support for the future, said Owen. 

“A lot of our volunteers at some point are going to need that type of care. So once again, we look for the opportunity to give back to the community where the whole community benefits.”

Many quilting and knitting groups that receive funding from the Good Neighbour Store donate their work to places like the hospital or long-term care home. One knitting group from the nearby community of Englefeld mentioned during distribution day they even get some of their supplies at the Good Neighbour Store. It’s an amazing ripple effect, says Owen, with organizations and donations feeding into one another.

The power of the volunteers cannot be overstated since this milestone would not have happened without people giving their time to clean and sort items, stock the shelves and make displays, and run the till from Wednesday to Saturday, explains Owen. Many volunteers come in on Tuesdays to give the store a tidy before the start of their busy week. January was the month to wash all the glassware on display and those with a keen decorative eye prepare displays for the upcoming holidays. A Valentine’s Day display is prominent as people walk in the door, with several gift suggestions nestled in among the overwhelming amount of red, pink, and white.

The power of the volunteers cannot be overstated since this milestone would not have happened without people giving their time to clean and sort items, stock the shelves and make displays, and run the till from Wednesday to Saturday.

“It runs like a fine-tuned clock,” says Owen proudly, “because everybody who is there knows what needs to be done, and they just do it. There’s so many extra things that you don’t really think about.”

Gwen Saret has been volunteering at the Good Neighbour Store for 16 years. At 84 years old, two or three shifts a week keep her busy and active, filling her social calendar as well as giving her purpose.

“Anybody that volunteers at anything gets fulfillment,” she says, but she is happy at the Good Neighbour Store doing great work with great people.

They are never short of items coming in. With a finite amount of space, they often have too much to sell to the Humboldt area alone, so they have made other donations besides money.

Through a partnership with PARTNERS Family Services and the Good Neighbour Store, anyone in need can get, “whatever they need to set up their household,” explains Owen. Whether it’s a low-income family needing additional support or someone needing to relocate due to domestic violence, anyone can contact PARTNERS, which then communicates that need to the Good Neighbour Store.

For single parents, kids can come pick up something special during the holidays.

“Last year, we had a few people that were left as single parents right in December. The kids were able to come in and pick some of their own Christmas gifts,” Owen recalls.
 

Reduce, reuse, recycle 
During its 33 years in Humboldt, the store has gone through numerous changes. When it first opened, volunteers only assessed items of clothing – with a recycling centre located in the same building – all of which had formerly been the Co-op Lumber Yard, according to an article in the Humboldt Journal newspaper on November 4, 1992.

Most of their current volunteers are farmers who didn’t work off the farm until after they retired and were left with more free time, Owens explains. Right now, that volunteer stream is drying up as most people work off the farm in some capacity and are also working longer.

Some of the funds have also been held back in certain for renovations and upgrades on the board’s wish list, explains Owen, since the old building must be maintained. The last few years have seen a few improvements, including new flooring and siding. With minimal plumbing available, volunteers clean items one bucket of water at a time, and anything that needs a deep clean, like dirty clothing, needs to be sent home with someone willing to volunteer their washer and dryer. This is one of the reasons they ask for items to be washed before being donated, but sometimes that’s difficult if items have been stored incorrectly over long periods of time. According to Owen, the volunteers go above and beyond doing what they can to ensure the item is ready for resale.
 

Without volunteers, an uncertain future
A little preventative maintenance goes a long way but a better facility would make work easier for volunteers, according to Owen. She’s not sure if that will ever be a reality. 

Right now, the majority of volunteers are in their 70s, she notes, and maintaining the number of volunteers they need may be more difficult as they continue to age. Owen’s mother volunteered herself, but Owen doesn’t know if this is something her own kids will be doing in their own retirements. Most of their current volunteers are farmers who didn’t work off the farm until after they retired and were left with more free time, Owens explains. Right now, that volunteer stream is drying up as most people work off the farm in some capacity and are also working longer.

It’s imperative for everyone in the community that the store finds a way to keep up. 

The level of volunteering from young people has changed over the years, and Owen doesn’t see community service being taught as much as in the past. However two elementary schools in the city are bringing in their classes to volunteer, she says, and the store is partnering with Futuristic Industries, a local support organization for people with intellectual disabilities, to come in and work. There is always something for volunteers to do, whether it’s battery checks on toys, packing up hangers, or helping out on the till.

 It takes a lot of people to keep the Good Neighbour Store running, and with the important roles the store plays in the community – reducing waste and providing opportunities for necessary fundraising chief among them – it’s imperative for everyone in the community that the store finds a way to keep up.