Director's Blog

As we continue to serve our communities as a community ourselves, those of us in the SA Thrift Stores are making it our mission to engage those who are excluded and marginalized from society. Not just the financially poor, but those who have a poverty in their spirits, whether it be due to their health, their life circumstances, their influences or their own decisions.

Recently our Milton Store Manager, Judy Harrison, returned from a 6 week mission sojourn to her home country of Guyana. As she reported to us and shared pictures of her trip, our team was inspired and challenged by one of our “own”, giving willingly her time, her resources and her helping hands beyond the scope and reach of her life here, to, in this case, children ‘at risk’ in a country hundreds of miles away.

One picture in particular touched many – a man lying face down in a corner on the street on a piece of cardboard. It wasn’t a one-time thing, as Judy pointed out – it was his home.

Reflecting on that, we then switched channels to an exciting initiative at our Parkdale store – as wonderful a community as Parkdale is, there is great need there – we’ll shortly be adding a drop-in coffee “shop” for the locals to gather and share together within the confines of our thrift store.

What really resonates here is that these two communities, Guyana and Parkdale, miles and cultures apart share one thing in common: people in need. There is great poverty, both visible and hidden, in both places – the languages are different, but the need itself is universally understood.

A friend of mine who works in a downtown Toronto SA shelter recently showed me a beautiful piece of art given to him by one of his “guests” at the shelter. It was abstract and detailed and very beautiful. He told me to look closer and I realized the artwork was made from a piece of cardboard – he told me it was the very cardboard this artist had slept on in the street before getting back on his feet through the support and love and care of the Salvation Army community.

Cardboard seems to be very popular. It serves the same purpose in Guyana that it does in Parkdale and downtown Toronto……

A bed for some.

But there is hope – we see it every day – by working and shopping and donating to SA Thrift Stores, we all are, together, participating in changing the use of cardboard…..from a mattress to a canvas.

Since working for The Salvation Army I have truly learned, through witnessing many of my colleagues in action that there is a clear difference between a “job” and a “vocation”.  A vocation IS always a job, but not necessarily the other way around. 

A “job” prompts images of slogging to work every morning and returning home every evening, exhausted, time and energy deprived, loads of responsibilities and the inherent stress to go along with it.  With a job, “work” most literally becomes a “chore”.

A “vocation” takes on a different shape.  It is still “work”, but it incorporates the much needed element of “passion”.  There is a care and purpose in the work. 

I didn’t have that before.  But I do now.

My teachers have been my fellow workers, our employees and our volunteers.  Each and every day there are numerous examples of them doing FAR more than is expected.  Whereas people in a “job” are content to “finish” work at a certain time, those in vocation never seem to settle … they keep pushing the limits of what is possible, not because they have to, but because they want to. 

 Just last weekend, three members of our leadership team, on three different assignments in three different locations, all worked through an entire night to accomplish their tasks – literally.  I have had numerous employees say they were taking a day off or a week vacation only to find they are working, checking in, staying in touch and ensuring that the projects they are working on are executed ‘just right’.  That’s vocation work!  They simply amaze me every day (I can’t believe one of my functions is to teach and coach people on how to take a day off!  Many leaders would kill to have it so good ). 

And then there is a beautiful example from our Cambridge store.  One of our young volunteers, a super young guy named Max, handed our store Manager, Lesa, a cheque made out to The Salvation Army for a very sizable amount.  He mentioned it was from his parents, but added that he had contributed as much as he could.  Consider that Max volunteers his time selflessly to The Salvation Army and you have a young person clearly focused on mission, purpose and vocation. There’s a lot we can all learn from Max.  He teaches us that there is joy in the work we do that transcends money, status, ambition or accolades.  I’m grateful to Max for this lesson and for his generosity.

 I encourage all of you, the next time you see someone “working” as a part of The Salvation Army, to recognize that he/she is involved in mission, working with purpose and commitment, and beyond expectation – knowing that they are serving their fellow man in various capacities.  If only we had more people in our workforce and our society like the five people mentioned above, we would have kinder, more compassionate, more selfless and more giving communities.

I’m challenged by this.  Are you?

At our St Clair store “Grand Re-Opening” this past weekend (Nov.13 and 14), a regular shopper approached a few of us saying that “this store belongs to the community” and “we’re so thankful you’re investing in this store”.  It was a sentiment echoed by many of the hundreds who came through our doors during our 2-day celebration.
 
It struck both an exciting and a sobering chord with me when she said those things.  It was most satisfying to hear a guest speak about the store this way – there was a buzz in the air as everyone, guests and staff alike, were at times “giddy” about the new look of what was previously a very old and dilapidated store!  To hear and see those in the community we serve excited and sharing in that sense of ownership of “their” store was palpable.
 
But it also was a clear reminder that although she was thanking us for investing in the store, it went further than that.  By saying “thank you for investing in ‘our’ store” she really was saying “thank you for investing in ME.”  If the local residents feel ownership in the store, and there is investment made into the store, naturally they will feel that they, as individuals and as a community, have been invested in.
 
That’s what we’re all about.
 
Without that component of our operation, we simply become one in a long line of clothing and discount product vendors – vendors who have no passion for the people they serve, but only their wallets and, subsequently, the corporate bank account.
 
But, as I witnessed yet again at St Clair this weekend, for us at the Salvation Army it’s ALL about the people we serve: by giving them options in a demanding world; by giving them dignity in an establishment; by making meeting their practical needs a bit easier.  Most of all, we give them a sense of community – and all of us who work here see it time after time, how many of our guests have little to community or family to which they belong EXCEPT what they find in our Thrift Stores.
 
So, we celebrated a terrific store and a terrific metamorphosis!  And we continue to celebrate those who walk in our front door – we are grateful to you for supporting The Salvation Army’s work and we are learning more and more how to exude love, grace and compassion to each of you who do.
 
And, by the way, if you’re down near St Clair we’d love to see you there!!! – we’re on the south side of St Clair just west of Bathurst (665 St Clair West) – our manager Brendan and his staff would love to see you!