How Crossway Community Thrift Store Supports Our Health & Wellbeing

If you’ve been in the Bow Valley for a while, we’re willing to bet that you’re visiting our local thrift store. Crossway Community Thrift is a massive second-hand store where you can find anything from a pair of pants to a kitchen table. Filled with clothing, furniture, books, sporting equipment, and so much more, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for. 

While most folks are familiar with Crossway Community Thrift, there are plenty of incredible programs and initiatives going on behind the scenes that you might not be aware of. Crossway has generously contributed to the Canmore & Area Health Care Foundation (CAHCF) on several occasions. As an example, they are the funders behind our Long-Term Care Music Program. 

To help illuminate the wonderful work the Crossway team is doing, we chatted with Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Cuell. Jennifer explained that “by shopping at the Thrift, you’re donating to all of these other causes because the money generated at the Thrift gets right back into the community.” She told us that Crossway has several of its own programs, but that they also contribute to causes such as CAHCF, the YWCA, the Christmas Spirit Campaign, and more. 

The overarching mandate of Canmore’s thrift store is to support children, families, and individuals in need. This is done by offering a more affordable shopping experience, helping fund local causes with similar mandates, and offering in-house programming to support individuals in need. Of course, the general thrift model has environmental impacts such as helping used clothing and items stay out of the landfill. Jennifer told us that they will often fix donated items so they can avoid the landfill and recycle them if they aren’t able to give them a new life. 

So, beyond the positive impacts of the Thrift Store itself, let’s talk about its programs. 

Benevolence Program

Jennifer explained that Crossway has something called the “Benevolence Program” which is “essentially helping other charities and organizations that come to us with people in need. For example, an individual who needs a suit for a job interview or a family that's moved into the Bow Valley that is not prepared for the cold weather and they don't have the money to purchase warm clothing,” she said. This program supports people like refugees, new Canadians, those who have lost their homes to disasters, etc. “The Benevolence Program helps people get on their feet in challenging circumstances,” said Jennifer. 

Back To School Program 

Next up, she told us about the Back to School Program. This program provides school supplies, backpacks, and everything families in need require to send their kids back to school each year. Jennifer told us that Crossway collaborates with Bow Valley Basics on this project. 

Jacket Frost 

There is also the Jacket Frost program. “We purchase new jackets for kids that are school-aged, kindergarten through grade 12,” Jennifer explained. Families get referred to Crossway through FCSS and it’s another way the Thrift “helps parents and families who are struggling in our community.” 

Food Scarcity 

Another big driver for  Crossway Community Thrift is helping with food scarcity in the Bow Valley. “We have our amount of money that we give out every year in food vouchers or gift cards to people that we’ve found out are struggling. Also, we donate to things like the Food and Friends at St. Michael’s, both food banks are heavily supported by us, and the Christmas Spirit Campaign as well,” said Jennifer. 

Now that you’ve got an idea of some of the programs and causes that are funded thanks to the money spent shopping at the Thrift Store, here’s a bit more about the store itself. The building is over 17,000 square feet, there are 23 employees, and 15 volunteers. “Because it's our mandate to fight against poverty, and support families, we make sure our staff are paid a fair living wage and have paid benefits,” Jennifer told us. 

“Crossway was originally founded by the Church 25 years ago. It started as a garage sale to raise money for the Christmas Spirit Campaign. It slowly built over time. The business grew, and the donations grew, and then the demand for items grew, and we had to find ourselves in a permanent spot,” Jennifer reflected. As Crossway grows, so does its potential to support individuals and families in need in our community.

Crossway is a generous supporter of the Canmore & Area Health Care Foundation and we could not be more grateful. 

“If we give back to the hospital, it is helping the community which is in line with our mandate. We want to continue to support the hospital because the people in the Bow Valley need to have access to quality health care. The Foundation makes sure that when somebody walks in those doors, they know they're being taken care of,” Jennifer shared. 

Crossway generously supports the Music Therapy Program, pictured below.

"I snapped a few pics this a.m. of Andrei and the residents doing smaller music groups. I wish you could have heard the singing from the two ladies in the dining room… it just brings a smile to my face. It’s incredibly heartwarming to hear residents with little verbal capacity, sing along to their old time favorites and smile and laugh with Andrei. He brings some much energy and life to the unit through music.”

-Kathie Scheel, the Long Term Care Manager at Golden Eagle View