When Chelsea Gamble first came to volunteer at our Redeemed Goods thrift store in March
2016, she was timid and nervous. She had no job experience at all and the Niagara Training
and Employment agency suggested she try to find a volunteer position as a first step to
getting a job. She came into Redeemed Goods because it was close to home and filled out an
application.
Chelsea started sorting clothing in the back room. It was an easy task for her and she started
to feel comfortable. “I felt happy coming in. There were great people working with me,” she
said about her first impression of the other volunteers and staff.
Slowly, Chelsea was given more responsibility. Su Datema, the store manager, trained her in
merchandising, then the cash register and customer service. Chelsea wasn’t sure if she could
do the cash at first because she felt that her math skills weren’t very strong, but Su came
alongside her and helped her. Chelsea reflected, “I was encouraged that I could do something
that I wanted to be able to do.”
“Over the last year, Chelsea has blossomed,” says Su, “when she started she had no work
experience and was unsure of herself. Now she goes above and beyond the expectations we
have for our volunteers. She sees something that needs to be done and does it. Chelsea is
now able to deal with conflict and challenging situations. It has been amazing to see her grow
in her confidence.”
Because of the positive difference volunteering at Redeemed Goods has made in her life,
Chelsea recruited her friend Alisa. Now Alisa is starting the same journey as Chelsea. Alisa has
anxiety but is able to take a break if her anxiety gets too high. She knows Redeemed Goods is
a safe place to take that time if she needs it. Alisa’s confidence is also growing. She says
“every day I try new things.”
We are happy to be able to provide a safe environment for young women like Chelsea and
Alisa so they can grow in their job skills and confidence.
Alisa (left) and Chelsea (right)
Come to Redeemed Goods and see our new store layout!
The Hope Chest Christian bookstore has moved to the back of the store, allowing our clothing to move to the front. Everything has
been moved around to be brighter and more organized to serve our customers better.
Coldest Night of the Year 2017 was a record breaker! We had some
goals that we had been working towards and praying for (25 teams and
$20,000) but those goals were surpassed by a lot! There was a great
sense of momentum this year as every day we saw new teams join and
more money raised. In the end, we had 29 teams and raised over $25,000! We had
exceptional community support. Teams from churches, businesses, community groups
and families all braved the cold with us. Even the mayor led a City of Welland team!
We had over 30 fantastic volunteers including many clients. It was a great opportunity
for our donors and clients to walk and work together to support Open Arms Mission.
Many Mission Centre clients do not have cars or bus passes, so they need to walk 2km,
5km or 10km to come see us, just like the walkers did on Saturday. The routes took the
walkers through neighbourhoods where some clients live, giving them a real glimpse
into our clients’ daily life.
283 PAC provided some fun entertainment while we waited for the walk to begin and
Confederation Secondary School’s culinary arts department provided three delicious
kinds of chili to warm us up after the walk. It was mild and rainy in the morning but by
the walk time it was cold and dry. As soon as the 10km walkers finished it started to
hail. Good timing!
We thank the Lord for all of the walkers, donors and volunteers who made this year’s
walk a great success. We’re already looking forward to next year!
For the past 5 years, Nikki Fairlie, the owner of Elan Vitale Salon, has been cutting hair for
free once a month at the Mission Centre. “It’s very humbling and I think everybody in the
city needs to come in here for one day and see the foot traffic, the people who need a
haircut, the people who need food,” she said in a Welland Tribune interview. “It is so fun to
watch the clients come up and show off their new hairstyle, it just does wonders for our
clients,” said Melissa Kirkpatrick, Open Arms Mission CEO. A professional haircut is
something that our clients are hard pressed to afford but helps improve their sense of
dignity and self worth. The haircut service is offered on a first come, first served basis for 10
clients a month on the first Tuesday of each month.
This week, we will be starting to plant seeds in our new greenhouse. The plants grown in the greenhouse will be transplanted
to our large garden at the Ministry Campus. Client volunteers will
learn the whole process of growing, harvesting, storing and cooking fresh produce. Some of the produce will be sold at a farm
stand and some will be given out to clients at our food bank. It
will be a great learning opportunity and source of healthy fresh
food for our food bank. If you enjoy gardening, canning or cooking and would like to help teach others, email Judith Mercer, our
Learning Garden supervisor at [email protected].
22 Fifth Street
Welland, Ontario L3B 4Z3
(905) 788-3800
Save the date
Open Arms Mission’s
30th anniversary
Celebration
298 Crowland Avenue
Welland, Ontario L3B 1X6
(905) 735-8624
www.redeemedgoods.com
www.openarmsmissionwelland.com
Registered Charity number 10780-1474-RR0001
933 Forks Road West
Welland, Ontario L0S 1V0
(905) 732-8260 (furniture
donation pickups)