The Salvation Army Thrift Store urges donors to hold onto their donations amidst strike in Greater Vancouver area

Support is needed from the community to hold onto their clothing and household donations due to the impacts of the strike of truck drivers and warehouse staff.

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 23, 2023 /CNW/ - The Salvation Army Thrift Store is seeing concerning impacts on its operations due to recent strike action by local warehouse employees and truck drivers. While donations are critical to support the programs and services of The Salvation Army, the organization is unable to process them at this time due to the impacts of the strike, including the significant reduction in staff.

Dan Kinsey, National Director of Distribution & Recycling, in Langley DRC admist strike of warehouse employees and truck drivers. (CNW Group/The Salvation Army Thrift Store – National Recycling Operations)

"This is an extremely challenging situation for us to be in, and it's having a negative impact on our local community," says Cory Mitic, Territorial Director of Employee and Labour Relations. "We're finding ourselves in a position where we are unable to process the high volume of donations in the Greater Vancouver area and while we are so grateful to our loyal donors, the safety and wellbeing of our staff who have stepped in to bridge the gap during this strike is our top priority."

The organization is hopeful that The Salvation Army Thrift Store's services will be able to resume soon. In the meantime, the organization is urging Greater Vancouver Area residents to set their donations aside and bring them to a Salvation Army Thrift Store Donor Welcome Centre when normal operations resume.

"After reaching two tentative agreements that were ultimately rejected by our employees, it is evident that the union is struggling to hold up their end of the bargain," says Mitic. "We consider the employees impacted, some of whom have been with us for many years, as members of our family and we remain hopeful and are available to continue negotiations to bring a resolution to this strike, which is undoubtedly impacting our employees and those we serve."

Donations are at the heart of The Salvation Army Thrift Store—they enable the organization to provide essential items at affordable prices to individuals and families facing economic challenges while generating funds to support crucial Salvation Army programs and services, including foodbanks, shelters for people experiencing homelessness, modern slavery and human trafficking prevention, addictions rehabilitation and emergency disaster services throughout the country. To learn more on how donations make an impact in your community, please visit www.thriftstore.ca/impactreport/.

About The Salvation Army Thrift Store:

The Salvation Army Thrift Store (National Recycling Operations) is a non-profit organization and the only national division of The Salvation Army. Through its 96 Thrift Stores across Canada, the organization offers savings on gently used clothing, textiles, and household items while generating funds to support local Salvation Army programs, services, and emergency relief efforts. As one of the country's largest textile collectors and a leader in textile diversion in the charitable sector, The Salvation Army Thrift Store diverted over 87 million pounds of items from landfills from April 2022-23.

SOURCE The Salvation Army Thrift Store – National Recycling Operations

Lindsay Robinson, National Director of Marketing & Communications, The Salvation Army Thrift Store, National Recycling Operations, 905-825-9208 ext. 200, [email protected], www.thriftstore.ca