Huron Hospice is opening a Boutique Style Thrift Shoppe in Bayfield
As you may know, hospices in Ontario only receive partial operational funding from the Ministry of Health. Every year, approximately 50% of expenses are covered by generous donations from their communities. The Huron Hospice Board has researched social enterprise ideas that will generate a continuous source of income and augment community donations.
Willy Van Klooster, the Executive Director at Huron Hospice, is excited to share the reasons behind the decision to open a year-round, boutique-style thrift shoppe in Bayfield. “We feel the timing is right for a thrift store. As the cost of living has risen, this store will benefit many families. Also, for those who are eco-conscious, recycling and thrifting are wonderful ways to make a difference. We have chosen Bayfield because of its diverse, active, and engaged population, and we look forward to networking in this community. It is our intention to operate a good quality thrift store, offering exceptional customer service”.
Huron Hospice is pleased to be leasing the historic “blue house” at 5 The Square to support this exciting venture. They are looking to hire one full-time manager, which is a paid position. For more information and how to apply, check out: https://www.huronhospice.ca/jobs.
To truly make this a community social enterprise, they are looking for volunteers to assist the manager. If you are interested in supporting Huron Hospice, are looking to participate in a fun enterprise, learn new skills, and make new social contacts, they hope you will consider volunteering with them. For further details, please contact Kelli McGregor, volunteer coordinator at Huron Hospice, 519-525-8648 or kelli.mcgregor@huronhospice.ca
The store will be stocked with donations from the community. When doing your spring cleaning, Huron Hospice invites you to kindly save any clean, good-quality items suitable for donation, such as clothing & accessories, household & décor items, sporting goods, craft supplies, and small furniture items. A detailed list will soon be available on their website, which is currently under construction. They are planning to start receiving these donations in June. They will also offer a donation pickup service, with more details to follow.
They are looking for immediate donations of racks, shelving, cabinets, tables, a vacuum cleaner, a steamer, a small fridge, a portable air conditioner and storage bins. Kindly get in touch with them if you are able to help out with any of these.
The Thrift Shoppe is projected to open in July, with donations being accepted in June to stock the store. Please follow them on social media, on their future website at www.secondwindthrift.ca, and on The Bayfield Breeze for further updates.
Wily Van Klooster will be assisted by volunteers Helen Varekamp and Donna Martin in implementing all necessary steps to open a great business. Helen has been a volunteer with Huron Hospice since they opened the residence in 2018, and has assisted with many projects over the years. Donna recently retired from operating her own marketing consulting business. Helen and Donna both reside in Bayfield and make a dynamic team.
If you are able to help them with their start-up expenses, kindly contact Helen Varekamp at hvarekamp@gmail.com or drop by the Hospice. E-transfer or online donations will soon be accommodated. As a non-profit organization, they can issue you a tax receipt for any monetary donations over $20.
The entire team at Huron Hospice is truly looking forward to opening up the thrift shoppe and to working with the Bayfield Community. They want to express their sincere gratitude to the Pioneer Park Association and agree to a collaborative relationship with them. They also want to express their thanks for the support they have already received from many other community members.
Pillar of HPA-OHT:
How Huron Hospice fits in:
Talking about palliative care early and often. Huron Hospice has provided hospice support in people’s homes for over 25 years, and can continue to grow that program.
Prevention and health promotion: keeping patients as healthy as possible in their communities and out of hospitals.
Currently, most admissions to Huron Hospice happen from a hospital. We aim to increase admissions directly from home, and avoid that trip to the hospital.
Providing the right care in the right place: when people need care, ensure that they receive it in the most appropriate setting, not always the hospital.
Huron Hospice will communicate more directly with other healthcare providers, and offer support services outside of our hospitals, in the community.
Integration and improved patient flow: better integrate care providers to ensure patients spend less time waiting in hospitals when they are ready to be discharged. Ontario Health Teams will play a critical role in connecting care providers and, in doing so, helping to end hallway health care.
Huron Hospice currently offers many community-based services and will hopefully expand these services under the new OHT, in addition to our 4-bed residential hospice.
Building capacity: build new hospital and long-term care beds while increasing community-based services across Ontario.
There have been many volunteer hours dedicated to get the HPA-OHT to this point. We are thankful to be part of a grassroots shift in the way we provide healthcare in this region. Thank you to all the people who have contributed towards the HPA-OHT.
