Photo supplied.
Left to Right: Lyn Lepper, Barb Steel, Clem Hassell, Tina Grant, Mary Morton, and Marion Guthrie. Absent: Kathe Groene, Joanne Rowland, Jackie Brown and Debbie Birmingham.
Millbrook’s frugal “fashionistas” have a secret they don’t want you to know. The local Community Care office has a fantastic “New to You” store that sells gently used clothing, shoes, and other smaller items. This store is a hidden gem that offers amazing, high-quality finds for bargain hunters, the environmentally conscious, and those who are fashion-forward, but frugally minded.
What sets this boutique-style thrift shop apart is that it is well-organized and thoughtfully curated—clothing is carefully selected for quality and variety, and the inventory is constantly refreshed and updated from season to season.
The proceeds from the store provide a critical funding source for local Community Care programs which provide services and support to local seniors and adults with disabilities. As Karen Morton from Community Care explains, “The New to You store has a direct and positive impact on the local community as the funds raised through sales in the store go towards local programming.”
Donating your castoffs or buying pre-owned items is also environmentally friendly. Both the sourcing of textile fibres and the manufacturing processes for new clothes use huge amounts of water, chemicals, and energy—in addition, the pollution from manufacturing effluents such as dyes, chemicals, and microfibers is astounding! The negative impact from the manufacturing of new clothing doesn’t stop there. Manufacturers send raw materials to far flung, labour markets to make the clothing as cheap as possible, and then transport the goods back to richer global markets. The fashion industry is purported to create more emissions of greenhouse gases than shipping and aviation industries combined!
So shopping at the New to You store is not only good for the local community, it helps the planet too! Drop in to check it out. This amazing little boutique is operated by a dedicated group of volunteers who work hard to make sure the store is well-stocked, beautifully organized, and welcoming.
If you aren’t in the market for more clothes or if you are starting spring cleaning, don’t forget that store is always happy to accept clean and gently used items. Skip the landfill, donate locally, and help Community Care provide needed services for local seniors and adults with disabilities.
The Millbrook Community Care office is located at 22 King Street East, Millbrook. You can drop off items during store hours 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Note: The store cannot accept or sell stuffed toys and electrical items for safety reasons, or intimate apparel such as undergarments for hygienic reasons.
To find out more about the New to You store, contact the Millbrook Community Care coordinator, Karen Morton at 705-932-2011 or email her at millofc@commcareptbo.org. KG
