On Monday, December 2nd, Bissell Centre’s Temporary Thrift Shoppe will officially open as a store where low-income people and families can shop for gently used items. The Temporary Thrift Shoppe has been open since October 25th as a location to drop-off donations but will now be 100% operational as both a store and a donation drop-off facility!
This will benefit the 5,000 to 6,000 low income people who utilize the Thrift Shoppe on a monthly basis to shop for much needed items including clothing, household goods, children’s toys, and personal care items. 
The Temporary Thrift Shoppe is located only a few blocks from our original Thrift Shoppe location that is currently under renovations due to fire damage that occurred in early September. All of the donations were lost in the fire and we are encouraging the public to continue to help us “Restock the Shoppe” by donating items such as: clothing for all ages and seasons, new socks & undergarments, footwear, backpacks & purses, linens & bedding, kitchen items, and toiletries & personal care items.
Location and Hours of Operation:
Temporary Thrift Shoppe (behind the Burger Baron)
11817 80 Street, Edmonton T5B 2N6
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Bissell Centre’s Thrift Shoppe has always been a valuable resource for us. It’s a place where we can help ensure that our community members, friends and neighbours have a place to purchase good quality products at very affordable prices. It’s where we are able to get donations to help stock our Community Closet, providing household necessities and clothing to severely impoverished individuals and families as we work to help them transition out of poverty. Our Thrift Shoppe is also, apparently, one of Edmonton’s best kept secrets!
When Edmonton Journal columnist Michael Hingston tweeted about his visit to the Thrift Shoppe, the response he got was “SHHH!!! That’s the SECRET BOOKSTORE!”
Hingston wasn’t content keeping it a secret though, writing about our amazing volunteer Margaret Mooney, and how much he enjoyed the store, the stock and the unbeatable prices was his way to share this rare gem with fellow book lovers. He later tweeted “today’s column, about #yeg’s best-kept bookstore secret, is my all-time favorite.”
What wasn’t mentioned in the article was that the Thrift Shoppe is a vital resource and a successful social enterprise for Bissell Centre. With last year’s sales through the store totalling almost $900,000 and the net proceeds supporting our programs that move people out of poverty, it’s a fantastic shopping trip for you, and a great source of support for Bissell Centre.
