The Whitehorse Community Thrift Store Society has made two donations of $5,000 each to the Humane Society Yukon and the Food Bank Society of Whitehorse.

The society said Dec. 21 it’s pleased to give back to the community that has supported this venture since a group of concerned residents gathered to discuss the idea of a thrift store three years ago.

“We are able to make these donations because of the community’s continued support, the ongoing donations of consistently good-quality used items, and because of shoppers who see the value of re-using and re-purposing good, used products purchased at affordable prices,” the society said.

“The store’s success is also due to the amazing crew of faithful staff and volunteers who do the heavy lifting that is needed to ensure that the store is full of good used stuff each week when the doors open.”

Like other local organizations and businesses, the thrift store hit a bump last March when COVID-19 struck, unexpectedly closing the store until July.

These are the society’s first community donations, as the board wanted to ensure that the store was financially sustainable after it reopened with COVID-19 measures in place.

“With continued community support, we look forward to being able to donate to other organizations in the future,” the society said.

To determine what organizations to make the first donations to, the society surveyed its volunteers, with the humane society and the food bank emerging as the top two choices.

The society said it “looks forward to continuing to serve Yukoners looking for a place to donate and to purchase good used items at an affordable price, keeping consumer goods out of our landfills and recycling bins!”