Three rooms of merchandise
From the left HOL volunteers Connie Sypes and Tina Zersch are shown in the second room of the thrift store which features children’s and men’s clothing as well as children’s toys. Thompson Goddard photo
INGLESIDE – At the opening on Aug. 6, a steady stream of customers were welcomed to the House of Lazarus (HOL) thrift store and food cupboard at the Ingleside-Newington United Church (INUC) located in Ingleside. After discovering the need in South Stormont for such an enterprise, HOL held discussions with local stakeholders and with the support of the INUC community, were able to open the store and food cupboard in the basement of the church. Organizer and co-ordinator Tina Zersch explained how the INUC is a “big supporter of HOL” with congregation deciding to support the expansion of its service to the area.”
In a recent press release, HOL executive director Cathy Ashby commented “We are excited to offer the Ingleside area a new thrift store with reasonably priced items. HOL will be partnering with Ingleside-Newington United Church to bring the residents of North and South Stormont some of our food cupboard and outreach services as well.”
COVID-19 transmission precautions are in place at the store and food cupboard, with guests welcomed by a greeter who monitors the number of clients in the location. Hand sanitizer is also available at the door.
HOL Ingleside site coordinator Mark Healey explained that the store will be offering similar items as those located at the HOL site (currently located in Mountain) but on a smaller scale. In the three-room store, items available for sale include books, CDs, household items, jewelry and clothing but not furniture. Healey continued that donations should still be made at the HOL site in Mountain.
When asked about the difference between a food cupboard and a food bank, Zersch explained that a food cupboard has both non-perishable and perishable food items, with a food bank generally providing non-perishable items, however, the Ingleside food cupboard will also have some perishable items such as milk, available in a limited amount.
The HOL store will be open on Thursdays between noon and 8 p.m. with opening hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The food cupboard will be open between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. on Fridays and on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and noon. The press release also mentions that “Some outreach services, such as the CRA Volunteer Income Tax program, HOL’s clothing voucher program, HOL’s start-up program, HOL’s advocacy centre and community referrals will be available upon our opening. Other outreach services will be determined by community needs.”
More information on services provided by the House of Lazarus are available on their Facebook page or by contacting Cathy Ashby at 613-989-3830 or via email at cashby@houseoflazarus.com.
Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.
