The Humboldt Good Neighbour Store (GNS) celebrated a milestone on Sept. 13 as they welcomed members of the community to their store for a 25th anniversary celebration.
GNS officially opened on Nov. 5, 1992 started by the Ministerial Association of Humboldt, and featured board members from St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, All Saints Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Augustine Catholic Church, Westminster United Church, and New Hope Community Church.
The GNS first opened primarily as a clothing store, but has since evolved into selling anything gently used.
The purpose of the store has not changed over the years as they continue to donate proceeds from the store to charitable organizations within the area.
As of the GNS redistribution celebration in Dec. 2016, the GNS has donated approximately $2.56 million to more than 100 charitable organizations from a number of different communities.
In addition to expanding their items, the GNS has also expanded their store hours, moving from Thursday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., to Wednesday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Over the past number of years, the store has undergone a number of changes, mostly through renovations, notes GNS Board Chairperson Maureen Doetzel, but the basic operation has stayed mostly the same.
One of the biggest changes the store has seen, is the GNS was recently able to purchase the building they have occupied for the past 25 years, which was an important step towards securing their future, says Doetzel.
“With leasing you never know, with changes in council they could just say that you don’t have a place to do your business anymore… we leased it for 25 years and they gave us a good deal so we purchased it.”
Being able to survive and ultimately thrive over the past 25 years is a testament to Humboldt and the surrounding area, says Doetzel, who notes they are really good about bringing items to the GNS instead of taking it to the landfill.
Over the years the GNS has seen people coming from all over the province including Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert, and donations from communities more than an hour away, which is great to see, says Doetzel.
“Our name is out there and they just know that we do really good work.”
The GNS currently has approximately 160 volunteers, who play a key role in the overall success of the store. Doetzel notes they need 20 volunteers a day and see volunteers help out from many communities neighbouring Humboldt.
“If we didn’t have the volunteers we couldn’t operate…we have a sign up front that says the volunteers are the heart of our store. “
The GNS hosted a 50 per cent off sale all week, and had coffee and donuts available for members of the community to help further celebrate the occasion.
Looking ahead, Doetzel says she expects the store to continue growing over the next 25 years, and says the purchase of the building should further secure their future.
“The way we’re going now, I can’t see us not being here in 25 years.”
