The B.C. SPCA Thrift Store is helping to make the cold weather more bearable for folks in need.
For the past 22 years, Roni-Lyn Sanders has been organizing a coat drive every December. The thrift store’s owner collects coats each November and, with the help of volunteers, takes them to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and gives them out to those need, including people living on the streets.
“We start collecting the coats Nov. 1. We need warm winter coats. If people have waterproof coats, it's great because they usually live outside,” she said. “Extra-large is really good – it’s usually a hit and it’s hard to find. Warm and waterproof is an added bonus. Obviously we aren’t going to be picky.”
Before heading out to disperse the coats, Sanders and a team of volunteers sort them into sizes and colours and put them on racks, where people can browse and pick out a suitable coat. The Penske truck rental company supports the coat drive by helping to store and transport the donations.
“Last year, it was the biggest ever,” said Sanders, who did the coat drive before opening the thrift store in 1998. “We had two three-tonne trucks. I had to hire a driver to help me.”
In addition to dispersing coats to those in need in Vancouver, the coat drive will also be helping out locals through the Lookout Society, the New Leaf Society, Pioneer Community Living Society and the Lower Mainland Purpose Society for Youth and Families.
“We are literally at about 50 coats,” Sanders told the Record recently. “We need to hit the 1,000 mark.”
At the Dec. 10 event, volunteers will distribute coats, sing carols and provide a warm meal for those in need, as Tsawwassen Girl Guides cook and serve soup and a bun, coffee and a cookie.
“It’s more of a Christmas experience, which is something that they don’t always have,” Sanders said. “It’s nice to help the less fortunate.”
Anyone wishing to volunteer on Dec. 9 or 10. or to donate coats can call Roni-Lyn Sanders at 604-540-7722 or text her at 604-341-9166. Coats can be dropped off at the thrift store at 615 12th St. during business hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday) or at 419 Lakeview St. in Coquitlam.
