The Reuse-it Centre has moved into the Anglican Church basement.
Not only does the store now reside at 602 Geikie St., it also has a new manager, Anne Daniels. Since its re-opening on June 24, the store has seen more traffic than it did at its previous location in the industrial park, she said.
The Reuse-it Centre has adopted more shopper-friendly hours and is open four days a week, alternating between afternoon and evening shifts.
Large furniture doesn鈥檛 fit through the door, which is 32 inches wide, but most people who come to the Reuse-it Centre live in apartments and are looking for smaller furniture, like lamps, end tables and chairs, said Janet Cooper, (environmental stewardship coordinator).
There is a storage unit for larger items and their photos and prices are listed on a bulletin board in the Reuse-it Centre.
The Reuse-it Centre and the food bank share the church鈥檚 basement, said Cooper. The food bank is open when the store is closed and 鈥渨e have enough room to move out of the way for them and they set up their tables.鈥�
Because the Reuse-it Centre shares space with the Anglican Church, Cooper and Daniels discourage residents from dumping items outside the store, especially during closed hours. 鈥淸The location] is front and central for the church and would be very unsightly,鈥� adds Cooper.
If you cannot drop off donations during Reuse-it Centre business hours, phone 780-852-3334 for a pick-up service. More volunteers are needed for the Reuse-it Centre; phone the above number or email [email protected] to help out.
With the store鈥檚 new location and less expensive rent, Cooper is optimistic about the Reuse-it Centre鈥檚 future. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really hopeful that we can make a go here. I think our biggest problem in the other location was it was too much out of sight, out of mind.鈥�
The Reuse-It Centre is an initiative of the Jasper Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee. For 2012, the centre was identified by the committee as its No. 1 priority. It was opened in May 2012 and is run by a non-profit society called the Jasper Environmental Stewardship Society.
Sarah Makowsky
[email protected]
