Page 24 - Westman Business 2019

24 THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 2019
» Super Thrift

Thrift shop making positive impact

It’s a store that’s doing well and doing quired component for successful completion
good at the same time. of their rehabilitation.
Super Thrift at 127 Seventh St. has been “The women’s home in Brandon — part
in business for just over a year now, and has of the program is teaching the women work-
enjoyed tremendous support from the com- ing skills and coping skills so they can be
munity. Folks are donating items for sale employable after the (year-long) program,”
and are shopping at the store. And by so McKenzie said. “They could find farm jobs
doing, they’re helping former addicts gain because the home is sort of in the country,
work experience and get their lives back on but most of the girls came from the city.”
track. That meant they had no knowledge of
Super Thrift was opened and is operated or experience in what would be required of
by Chris and Kim Lowes, a husband-and- them in agricultural settings. So Kim sug-
wife team who run the Adult and Teen gested they try opening a Super Thrift in
Challenge Centre in Brandon, a ministry Brandon. And as mentioned, it has been a
that helps people cope with life-controlling rousing success. In addition to McKenzie,
addictions. Approximately 16 kilometres co-manager Aaron Murray and a handful of
out of Brandon, they built a residence that paid staff, the women from the residence all
can accommodate 16 women from all walks work in the store for no remuneration. But
of life who are looking to shake their ad- what they gain are social skills and employ-
dictions, mostly to drugs and alcohol, but Store manager Terrence McKenzie and development officer Aaron Murray stand between rows of clothing in ability skills they can hopefully parlay into
also to food, gambling and video games, and the Adult & Teen Challenge Super Thrift at 127 Seventh St. in Brandon. (Photos by Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun) jobs when they graduate from the centre.
move on to a future full of possibilities. “It’s work experience, it’s training and
And Super Thrift store manager Ter- “It all stays within Manitoba and most Bay, Ont., and Winkler. McKenzie said the it kind of allows them to feel good about
rence McKenzie said once expenses are of it goes to the women’s home,” McKenzie Loweses decided to open the Brandon shop themselves because they are contributing to
paid, all other monies go to the women’s said. because they were having difficulty finding their programs,” McKenzie said.
residence and Adult and Teen Challenge. There are Super Thrift stores in Thunder jobs for their clients, and working is a re- » Continued on Page 25
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