Summerland non-profit working to boost health care hit by repeated thefts

Donation drop-offs at the Summerland Health-Care Auxiliary Thrift Store are a daily occurrence but these days, unfortunately, so are thefts.

Ever since the thrift store installed cameras earlier this year, those thieves have been caught in the act.

“Every night on average I witness about 15 different people come here,” said Kurt Evans, a volunteer and the auxiliary’s first vice-president.

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The store is located on Victoria Road N with its donation bins situated outside at the back of the store.

According to Evans, some of the offenders are unhoused.

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“Sometimes, I’ll come down and catch them in the act,” Evans told Global News. “You talk to them and you say, listen, you know, you’re stealing from a store that eventually raises money that eventually is going to go back to help you.”

That’s because the thrift store, which is operated by the long-existing auxiliary, helps support other non-profit groups and health programs with the proceeds of its sales.

“Last year in 2023, we gave away $403,000 which is amazing for a small community,” said Shannon Toop, the auxiliary’s president.

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Right now the store is working towards a major goal that will boost cancer care in the region.

“We are giving a million dollars to the oncology clinic at the Penticton hospital, we have five years to complete that and so far we’ve been able to pay off $550,000 in just over two years,” Toop said.

And it’s not just thefts the auxiliary is dealing with, there’s another alarming trend involving garbage.

“We’re having community members, in our community show up amongst the traffic of thievery going on and they are dumping their actual garbage in our bins,” Evans said.

Both the thefts and constant dumping of garbage are taking a toll on the volunteers trying to make a difference in the community.

“We want to do our best for the community and people are stealing,” an emotional Toop said. “It is disheartening.”

The auxiliary is asking people to not drop off items after closing hours to help stop the thefts.

It’s also encouraging community members to shop at the store and consider becoming a much-needed volunteer so its 115-year-long goodwill operation can continue.