AbuseHurts Delivers Hope through weekend furniture sale

January 27, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

Their capable hands have helped refurbish Yellow Brick House and taught women and men coming out of shelters and mental health facilities valuable skills as they get ready for a fresh start, but this Saturday you can put your own hands into the mix.

The Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness opens up the doors of their Edward Street warehouse this Saturday, January 30, and next Saturday, February 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a special sale of furniture, lamps, jewellery, dishes, pictures, clothing and gift items.

Proceeds from all sales will go to Abuse Hurts, a division of the Centre, which assists over 200,000 people every year from over 100 agencies across Canada.

The Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness moved to Aurora last June, taking over warehouse space on Connaught Avenue for their Delivering Hope program.

The Delivering Hope initiative brings together 10 to 12 women from local shelters who come out to have their hair, makeup and nails done, are able to pick out a new outfit or two, a new Danier coat and purse, and a full bag of makeup, according to program founder Ellen Campbell.

In addition to this arm of the program, it also provides furniture, new bedding, used housewares, and other important items to help individuals who have suffered abuse get back on their feet.

Partnering with the JRCC Furniture Depot out of Thornhill to collect these furnishings, the focus of the Centre has shifted slightly in recent years.

“Now that we are working with the JRCC, we are finding we are taking furniture we are not going to be selling to them,” explains Ms. Campbell. “Now, the JRCC helps us with furniture, and we help them, but we decided we would like to try and sell some of the higher-end furniture because we raise our own money and take no government funding. We have to be constantly finding different ways to raise money.

“We were getting a lot of older furniture, but it was solid wood, so we started painting it with volunteer painting classes. We paint some of the older furniture, but we’re also teaching the women how to paint. They can come and learn for free, hoping they will come and develop a skill. We are going to try this on these Saturdays and if it does well, we’ll open it up more often. I think we’re going to do okay because we can pick the furniture up; we charge for pickup, but not a lot, covering our gas and the person we have to hire to do that, but then we can give a tax receipt for the furniture – and we’re getting some nice furniture. I am hoping certainly over a six month period we will be able to raise a considerable amount of money.”

The January 30 and February 6 sales run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 125 Edward Street. Parking and entrance is at the rear of the building.