IODE closing up shop
The items are dwindling, but the prices are unbeatable at a going-out-of-business sale set for this Saturday at a downtown Kelowna thrift shop.
Final-ever sales of secondhand clothing and household goods at the shop, operated at 1427 Ellis St. by the century-old IODE organization, will be made between noon and 3 p.m.
“It feels like the end of an era,” IODE member Sally Kelly said Thursday about the closure of the shop, which has been in the same downtown location for more than 60 years.
Longstanding problems in attracting new volunteers, exacerbated by a two-month closure of the store because of COVID19, have done in the business.
“When I started volunteering here in 2004, we had more than 30 volunteers,” Kelly said. “Now, there’s just four of us left, and it’s just too much for us to carry on.
“Generally, a lot of our volunteers have been in their ‘70s and ‘80s, but when they hit 90 that’s sort of been the cut-off point,” she said. “They might be using walkers, or not driving anymore, so it’s hard for them to get down here for their shifts.”
The building’s owner has decided to do some renovations through the pandemic-related closure and look for new tenants. Last Saturday was supposed to have been the last day, but enough clothes, dishes, and other household items were still on the shelves to warrant one more opening.
About $10,000 annually was generated for a variety of good causes, such as camp programs for disadvantaged children, guide dog services, Project Literacy, and art therapy materials for clients of Canadian Mental Health Association.
The IODE, originally known as Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, is a national women’s charitable organization that was founded on Jan. 15, 1900, to promote patriotism, loyalty, and service to others.