For many in the community, purchasing that new winter jacket at the start of the winter comes easy. However, there are many among us who this luxury does not come as easy for.
Bearing this in mind, two local charities, One Small Act of Kindness and Doorway to Dignity, hosted the 904th Street Store event at Ferndale Bible Church on 1 June. This was the second event of its kind in the community hosted by the two charities at the church.
On the day, each displaced person in attendance received about five tickets upon entry which they could then use to purchase clothes of their liking. They had their pick of clothes donated by the community and each of these items were quality checked to ensure that whatever they took home, was in a good condition. This was a free shopping experience for them and volunteers were on hand to help assist ‘shoppers’ with any items they took a fancy to.
CEO of Doorway to Dignity, Trevor Webster explained the concept of the street store is to give displaced people the opportunity to shop with dignity and select items of clothing they really like. This is the sixth street store he would be a part of. “I love doing it because it is a great concept and it gets everybody involved from various communities.”
Kelly-Ann van der Meer from One Small Act of Kindness said the people they assisted on the day were people who had families either far or near but had to make difficult choices that were best for their families. To attend the event, each person who came was given an invitation at various feeding schemes hosted during the week. “This is our second event with Doorway to Dignity. We have done many small events together but this is definitely one of my favourites.”
Van der Meer said one of the most interesting aspects for her is watching people choose the shoes they want. “They look at the soles and they examine them because they would be work shoes, and these shoes work hard, and it is amazing how we might look at the shoes for their aesthetics while they look at it for their functionality.”
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