No cost to kindness
SUMMERSIDE – According to Belinda Woods, it costs nothing to be kind.
“Suck in a breath if you have to, think before you speak, and just be kind,” Woods said with a chuckle.
Woods runs the Free Store in Summerside, PEI. And as the name suggests, everything is free. There’s just one catch – you can’t resell anything you take.
She opened the store three years ago around Christmas time, in hopes of helping those who may be struggling to meet ends meet clothe themselves properly for winter weather and more.
“I knew what it was like to have nothing,” said Woods. “At 14, I was alone. I lived on the streets and in foster care. I’ve started over a couple of times since then. From nothing.”
Woods says the issues she faced are still as apparent as they were years ago.
“I don’t think anything has changed. There are still people falling through the cracks, people dealing with mental health, living in the streets, not having a permanent place to stay.”
She added, “It was an eyeopener. I was amazed by the local needs. People have come from all over the Island to come for items here.”
While everyone is welcome the store is designed to help those who need it most.
“You can have a nice house and be house poor because you’ve put all your money into the home. People who need the store can come from all walks of life and some people can’t afford second hand from stores anymore. It’s for anyone who might not be able to get the necessary items.”
Because of this sentiment, Woods takes any essentials people will donate to the store – from the odd non-perishables to diapers to household items to clothing and footwear.
Woods, who works for the P.E.I. Association of Newcomers to Canada, said starting the Free Store fell into her lap. She organizes the store, volunteer staff and collects donations on top of working full time.
Now with the store’s third anniversary nearing, Woods recalls the feeling that the store would only last a few months.
“I didn’t realize it would be like this. We can have about 300 people come in in an hour. As it started growing, we’d try to see how it would continue to work. Now it’s gotten to the point where it can’t be stopped.”
She said she is shocked by the generosity of people.
“Some things people donate are brand new and have the tags still on them. The fact that they want it to go to people in need means so much.”
She said running the store has been a humbling experience.
“Even though life get’s busier I never begrudge my time here. It’s always from a mindset of, ‘let’s see what we can do today.’”
Recently, there was a young boy who would come into the store when it was open looking for a skateboard. Week after week there wasn’t one, until one day, a skateboard came in with a load of donations.
“One day he came in looking and asked about a board. I said ‘oh I’m not sure, let me have a go look in the packaging that just came in.’ I had put it to the side when it came in knowing he’d come to the store in a few weeks… it was pure excitement.”
She said the store, from donation days to the shopping days, is a judgement-free zone.
“You can feel the happiness of people when they find something they need. I’m happy for them.”
Woods couldn’t stress it’s because of the community the store continues to run.
“As long as there’s a need, we’ll be here. But all of this comes directly from the community. We’re just the little venue that makes it all happen.”