As a co-owner of Summer of Sound, central Canada’s largest electronic music festival, Quinn was one of many Canadians whose work was shuttered by COVID-19. He and his two friends – Garrett, a videographer, and Ryan, an avid dog rescuer – recognized the substantial impact that the pandemic was having on those around them and felt compelled to do what they could to help others.
“I know that a lot of families in the restaurant business, as well as families and people in general, have really been struggling,” said Quinn. “Even though my company has been obsolete for the past year I’ve still been doing okay, and it made myself and my two partners think about how many people have really been affected by this.”
Quinn, Garrett, and Ryan began identifying local organizations, including The Salvation Army Thrift Store, that they could help support by organizing and collecting donations through community drives.
“We all have a following in Winnipeg so we started a Christmas drive in support of Harvest Manitoba and we were blown away by the response,” said Quinn. “When we were ready to start our next drive, The Salvation Army immediately came to mind. I live downtown near the Winnipeg Booth Centre, so I’m familiar with the work The Salvation Army does as a non-profit organization.”
After starting in early March, the donation drive wrapped up on March 27th. The group made over 75 local home pick-ups throughout the month and collected 15 bins of donations to deliver to the Winnipeg Distribution & Recycling Centre. In total, Quinn, Garrett, and Ryan collected 3,109 lbs. of gently used clothing and household items.
These donations will now help generate funds to support Salvation Army programs and services like food banks, shelters for those experiencing homelessness, and addictions rehabilitation. They will also empower individuals and families in need to shop for essential clothing and household items free of charge at Winnipeg’s eight Thrift Stores using vouchers issues by The Salvation Army’s social services.
Beyond the social impact of donations, community drives are an important way to extend the lifecycle of usable goods and contribute to environmental sustainability at a local level. As one of Canada’s original and largest recyclers, The Salvation Army Thrift Store has provided a unique way to serve through retail and recycling for over 100 years.
Thank you to Quinn, Garret, and Ryan for their selfless work during the pandemic and for helping us build stronger communities together.
If you are interested in hosting a community donation drive, please visit www.thriftstore.ca/host-a-donation-drive/.
