Montreal Gazette

Second NOVA thrift store opens to give back to charity

- BRIANA TOMKINSON

The first sale at the new Maison NOVA store on Hudson’s Main St. came even before the official opening of the thrift shop. While volunteers bustled around the store, dusting picture frames, moving furniture, hanging price tags on wedding dresses, and arranging a display of china dishes on a set of table and chairs, a curious passerby stopped to peek in the window. He ended up buying that table on the spot, netting $450 for the NOVA charity. It was an auspicious start for the new store, which is located at 538 Main Rd., just down the street from its sister store, the Boutique NOVA. Since the official opening on Jan. 11, buyers have snapped up furniture from day beds to end tables, as well as smaller items like books and china dish sets. New stock has already been brought in to replenish store shelves. Maison NOVA is the brainchild of Janet Ellerbeck, who said she proposed the idea of opening a second boutique in Hudson because the existing thrift store, which sells mainly clothing, didn’t have enough space to sell all the high-quality donations being offered to the charity. “Hudson and St-Lazare have a lot of wealthy people who give us their wardrobes every year,” said Ellerbeck. While no donations are wasted, as any excess is donated to women’s shelters and other charities, Ellerbeck saw an opportunit­y to expand store operations and begin selling more than just clothing. The first store proved that the thrift store concept worked, Ellerbeck said, raising around $100,000 per year for the charity since opening seven years ago. With more space to offer larger items and expand inventory, Ellerbeck hopes to raise even more. In addition to furniture and housewares, the new boutique has a dedicated space for children’s clothing and accessorie­s, with most clothing selling for a dollar a piece, and winter jackets for just a few dollars more. There is also a special area for brides to shop for wedding dresses upstairs, complete with a full-length mirror and a room big enough for the bride’s entourage to gather while she tries on dresses in an adjacent dressing room. Maison NOVA has about 30 bridal gowns in stock, as well as outfits for the mother-of-the-bride and evening dresses suitable for bridesmaid­s. Some of the dresses are worth thousands of dollars new, said Ellerbeck, but all are offered for sale at $300 or less, with most formal wear going for less than $60. All profits from the two thrift stores fund health outreach work by NOVA Hudson, which employs four full-time nurses to offer inhome care in Hudson and nearby areas for patients enduring cancer treatment, recovering from broken bones, coping with long-term disabiliti­es or illnesses, or who need palliative care. Although nursing care is offered by the CLSC, Ellerbeck said there is far more demand than can be met by staff there. When people are sent home from hospital, it’s assumed they have someone at home who can care for them. When that’s not possible, there’s NOVA. “If they get a call that someone is in need, the nurses will go. They won’t refuse anybody,” said Ellerbeck. “It’s filling the holes in our health system.” In addition to nursing care, NOVA marshals an army of 100 volunteers who run the two thrift boutiques, co-ordinate and deliver loans of equipment like wheelchair­s and hospital beds, and organize community outreach like a weekly drop-in program that offers respite for caregivers of people with dementia. Every Wednesday, NOVA rents the hall at St. Mary’s Church to offer aerobics classes adapted for people in wheelchair­s, live music, a full lunch, crafts and games. Caregivers have the option to stay, but are encouraged to go and take time for themselves if they feel comfortabl­e doing so. “It’s like a daycare for adults with Alzheimer’s and early dementia so caregivers and family members can get a break,” said NOVA Hudson vice-president Wanda Bray. “We could only do this because of the money from the NOVA shop.” Bray said the thrift store has been a “godsend” for NOVA, because it provides a steady source of income to supplement money raised through donations and fundraisin­g galas. “For a small town like Hudson, we’ve got a great team of dedicated citizens and volunteers who make this happen,” Bray said.

 ?? ALLEN MCINNIS ?? Janet Ellerbeck sits at a table set with dinnerware that’s for sale at the NOVA boutique, which opened last Thursday.
ALLEN MCINNIS Janet Ellerbeck sits at a table set with dinnerware that’s for sale at the NOVA boutique, which opened last Thursday.

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