‘Restored my belief’
In my youth I belonged to groups such as Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT), Youth for Christ and was a cub leader for Boy Scouts of Canada at my church.
I always considered myself a flower child wearing rose coloured glasses, (as seen in my wedding photos), hoping the world would become a peaceful place for all to share. I still hold true to this belief.
My grade nine history teacher inspired me to respect local history and as a young adult I began to collect items of interest from the area. By attending flea markets and auctions I met other people with similar interests and by speaking with them I have learned about many items people find interesting and collectable.
One of the charitable organizations I was involved in was the Friends of Willistead.
After my retirement I started volunteering at Mission Thrift Store. We are a volunteer-based organization with 48 stores across Canada and 4,158 volunteers who share the same passion to serve our community.
This restored my belief that the world can be a better place despite the evening news.
Mission Thrift Store raised $9,637,964.00 in 2016 alone. Also in 2016, 702,738 people worldwide have become followers of Jesus Christ by receiving the Living Word of God through 2,285,962 scriptures being placed in their hands. We also support adult literacy programs and women and children’s ministries. The money generated through all 48 stores across Canada is raised for The Bible League of Canada, which supports all these ministries. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to share my interests with others, giving useful items a new life, keeping them out of the landfills and living green. (Green is the colour of the store’s logo).
I have met wonderful people who share my idea of a better world and are working at making this happen through The Bible League of Canada and God’s Love.