Joan Shiriff (left), president of the Dorcas Ladies, and Anne Polischuk, manager of the Osoyoos United Church Thrift Shop, are upset after a series of recent thefts and vandalism. The thrift shop has been selling clothing and household items and raising money for numerous local charities for more than 30 years. (Keith Lacey photo)
Volunteers and management with a local thrift shop that has been providing financial assistance to numerous community organizations for more than 30 years are despondent after a recent rash of thefts and vandalism.
The Osoyoos United Church Thrift Shop has been operated by the Dorcas Ladies in Osoyoos for more than 30 years.
Over the past two weeks, much of the clothing and household items left overnight by community members has been stolen, said Anne Polischuk, thrift shop manager.
“People drop stuff off overnight and almost all of the items dropped off over the past couple of weeks has been stolen,” said Polischuk. “I check daily and people are stealing and it’s very disheartening because this just hasn’t happened in the past.
“It started a couple of weeks ago and I have a very funny feeling it’s the same group of people who live close by the shop because I was here one night last week, left for only a couple of minutes and then I got back, several garbage bags were scattered on the property and all of the items in those bags was stolen.”
Besides the regular thefts over the past couple of weeks, a window has also been broken near the entrance to the thrift shop in the basement of Osoyoos United Church and graffiti has also been left behind, said Polischuk.
Management was going to call the local RCMP about the thefts, but were hoping to make a public appeal first to discourage the thieves and get the message out that stealing the clothing and household items means less profits are being donated to various causes in the community, said Polischuk.
“We might eventually have to call the police if the thefts continue, but we’re hoping to get the message out to tell people to bring in their items during office hours and maybe not drop things off overnight because so much of it is being stolen,” she said.
Money raised at the thrift shop has been donated to more than a dozen community organizations in the past year, including the community kitchen with Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre, Naramata Centre, Gleaners, Better at Home Osoyoos, Osoyoos Food Bank, First United Mission, Stephen Lewis Foundation, Kidney Foundation of Canada, Vancouver School of Theology, ALS Society of B.C., Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Canadian Feed the Children, Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, school programs at Osoyoos Secondary School, Kiwanis Club of Osoyoos and funding to help build a new school in Mexico.
The thrift shop has a dedicated group of 40 to 50 volunteers and they are very discouraged that these thefts have become a regular occurrence, said Polischuk.
“We have great support in our thrift shop from the community who donate the items and great support from our amazing group of volunteers,” she said.
The thrift shop is open Tuesday and Wednesday from noon until 3 p.m. and Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Because of the thefts and property damage, Polischuk admits she is looking to arrange a Saturday shift so community members can drop off their donations all day Saturday.
“The hope is we can stop the thefts by having people drop off their goods during office hours and hopefully we can also start opening Saturday, which would allow people who work through the week to drop their stuff off on the weekend.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation and not leave their stuff after hours or overnight can make an arrangement with Polischuk by calling her at 250-485-8449.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
