“All the funds are for the community” at Aylmer Thrift Store

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“less hands on and more overseeing and being guides to the volunteers.”

Some of the staff had a broad knowledge of item condition and demand, and their help in setting fair prices was invaluable, as it was one of the most important parts in maintaining positive relationships with both donors and buyers. Donors wanted to ensure that the items they gave were being sold for a fair price but not so expensive that they might regret not selling it themselves, and buyers wanted an affordable purchase, but understood increased cost for higher quality items.

Dave said that the store was the primary source of fundraising and income for MCS.

Those funds came through the sale of clothing and small household items, but also from thoughtful recycling of the items that they couldn’t use. Clothing that doesn’t get sold into the store is sold at a bulk rate at a very discounted price to another charitable organization. Damaged or overly worn clothing is sold to a textile buyer. They try to maximize the value of each item and see that it is meaningfully recycled.

The top selling category in the store was clothing –“the clothing always leads” – but books were also very popular.

Coming out of the pandemic, the new location was now performing well, though that also means that some people are finding themselves on hard times and needing to access the pricing of thrifted goods.

“We just recently hit our record sales for monthly sales in June. We’ve definitely seen sales increasing since the inflation has been happening.”

As well, he had also noticed the trend in upcycling, with discerning customers able to see the potential in older furniture or clothing that might not suit current tastes. They were able to refresh those items them with paint, or sewing alterations to take on a new life.

Giving back

Dave said the best part of the job was “giving back to the community.” He continued, “We can get some Mennonite families that show up here in the Aylmer community with one or two suitcases and they have nothing else. They’re hoping to get a job in the summer. But they need something to start off with – pots and pans, furniture, clothing.

“They show up at the MCS resource center and have their needs assessed. Then they’re given a voucher to use at the store and they can pick out items for free. And we’re able to get them items and tools so they can make a meal the next day.”

Vouchers were also issued through the Family Cen- tral, another community group helping those in need.

Dave guessed that this year they will once again topple their previous record for value of merchandise given away through the voucher system.

“To see how grateful recipients are for being able to come in and get what they need to build a comfortable life is amazing.”

Eddy reflected on some observations he’d made in the past couple years.

“The store creates an atmosphere where community can be built and maintained.” He said a lot of those connections were lost during the pandemic, “And so when we see community being rebuilt, people come together.”

He said the staff and volunteers “love working together, and then they love also sitting down to tell stories over a coffee and just enjoy a connection time. And, and that’s what we’re about, community services.”

He closed by saying, “Even though MCS was started by some Mennonite churches, newcomers in this area, the services are delivered to everybody. And that comes out of the values we share.

“That’s living the way Jesus did, noticing our neighbour. For me that’s the biggest reward – living it out doing so with staff, volunteers, donors. It’s the start. It’s all used for those good purposes.”

The journey through Aylmer Thrift Store: many hands help to move pieces from mountains of donations to attractive rows of merchandise, ready for purchase

ABOVE LEFT: “This is where it all starts, in sorting,” said Aylmer Thrift Store Manager Dave Guenther, giving a tour of the operation. David Fehr left, and John Loewen, are the front line for making decisions on whether the donations can be directed to the store or to other agencies they work with, including textile recyclers, and sometimes whether and item is beyond use and needs to be disposed of. David said they see, “all kinds of stuff, some brand new, some garbage. You’d be amazed.”

ABOVE CENTRE: Volunteer Susan Friesen, and 15-year employee Linda Miller check handbags for defects to ensure they only put quality pieces up for sale. Once sorted, the merchandise receives a price and is put into the store’s inventory system. Linda said in the sorting that they also hope to catch any higherend pieces to ensure they are priced higher to reflect their quality. There always needs to be a balance between donors and shoppers, ensuring fair prices for both sides, as well as a good selection. “With people having financial challenges, there’s people thrifting now who have never before,” increasing the demand at the store.

ABOVE RIGHT: Aganetha Unruh smiled while sorting through piles of clothing, getting them ready before going to the racks. She said it was he first day back volunteering after spending the summer with her kids. “I miss the children but I love being back.”

LEFT: Anna Klassen said she helps at the thrift store, “almost every day, most of the time four hours a day.” She makes sure that all the kitchenware is washed before it goes to the shelves.

NEAR RIGHT: Merchandise before it is sorted.

WE’RE PROS AT HELPING PROS

FAR RIGHT: At its final step before purchase, merchandise is arranged in tidy displays throughout the store, ready to be purchased and given a new life. Dave noted that, “Having well placed shelving is just as good as the product itself.” l87 John St N Aylmer ON in spacious quarters at 80 John St. S.

The original McFarlan Rowlands office at that address has been enlarged considerably to provide space for 11 workers currently, with room for more in the future, Branch Manager Karen Zimmer said in an interview.

The roots of McFarland Rowlands, which has 18 offices across Southwestern Ontario, stretched back to 1896. It is a brokerage dealing with many different insurance providers, not just one.

The Aylmer office was first opened over 26 years ago by Sue Zimmer, Karen’s sister-in-law. Prior to that, the office was in Springfield and was owned by the late Giles Hume.

The office in Aylmer started with three employees and had reached five before the merger. With the amalgamation of the HWC staff, that increased to 11 workers.

McFarlan Rowlands, she noted, had approached HWC about purchasing all five of its offices, including Aylmer, St. Thomas, Port Stanley, Straffordville and Tillsonburg, and all remain open under the new ownership.

The sale took effect on January 1, 2021, but HWC continued to operate under that name for one full year before being folded into McFarlan Rowlands, to phase customers in gradually.

Karen, a former HWC employee herself, looks after all five of the former HWC offices, except Tillsonburg. St. Thomas has four additional employees, Port Stanley two and Straffordville three.

The move from the former HWC building (now purchased as the new home of the Aylmer-Malahide Museum and Archives) on Talbot Street West “was great,” she said. The move was planned for two days but took only one.

Many of the older desks and other furnishings remained at the former site, which the museum appreciated.

“It was an easy move,” and the staff had been wonderful about making the change, with everything they needed packed and ready to go.

As for the new quarters, “We love them. It’s nice, it’s clean, it’s fresh,” and the merged staff got along perfectly. “Everyone helps everyone in the office. We all work together to ensure the jobs are completed.”

They were also now all on one storey, which made a big difference. “I don’t miss those stairs.”

The only disadvantage was that the old HWC office had employee parking out back, which the new office didn’t, but that wasn’t a terrible burden, as it was close to side streets where parking was allowed.

The construction was done by Keith Card of Card and Company, a local builder, and he did a great job, Karen stated.

The new site has a total of 16 individual offices, and she expected that the rest would be filled as the brokerage expanded its local business.

Karen said McFarlan Rowlands offered all types of insurance, for homeowners and tenants, automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles, commercial, farm and life, as well as travel.

Before COVID-19, she said, a lot more customers had come to insurance offices in person. After public health restrictions went into place, customers learned to deal with employees remotely, and many more were using online payments.

“Every one of us enjoy seeing the customers coming in and visiting with them (though),” she noted. “It makes a big difference.”

She notes German-speaking clients were still visiting in person because the language barrier could be easier to deal with face-to-face. They were social and liked to visit.

The brokers at the office knew their clients, “and they know their families, because we’re a small town.”

She thought that maintaining such a close relationship was why the company had so many offices.

“I think we do a great personal touch.”

“And our claims, that’s why we’re here,” she continued. Brokers ensured their customers were well-looked after.

One bad experience, and business would go down the road to another company.

Often, too, the brokers were trying to help people in crisis. After their first car crash, “They need their hand held. That’s what we’re here for,” and “We don’t like to drag anything on.”

McFarlan Rowlands had its own inhouse claims adjusters, rather than relying on insurers for that service. “That’s all new to us,” she said for the former HWC staff.

The main types of insurance sold locally were home-owners, commercial and automobile, she said.

With recent high gas prices, she noted, some customers were switching from larger vehicles to motorcycles.

Karen said, the changing environment in the insurance field was a challenge. “Everything is going up. People don’t expect insurance should go up, but it does.

“People expect it to stay the same,” but that didn’t consider inflation, the cost of accident benefits and especially liability awards by courts “that were phenomenal.”

Locally, losses from flooding claims could be huge, either directly or indirectly through sewage backing up into homes.

“People don’t like insurance,” she admitted, and might never need it, despite paying for it over many years. And right now, everything was increasing in cost, but wages weren’t going up.

Many customers didn’t understand how insurance worked, unless they had an accident or another claim, but premiums weren’t really increased by that much.

Brokers remained a good choice for clients to choose, Karen added. Customers who bought insurance directly online from a company didn’t have someone familiar to go to if they needed help.

Those who did try would then return to a broker, because the service level they were getting was not what they had expected.

Discounts offered in the first year of online insurance often disappeared in the second year, “and service isn’t there.”

The younger generation was very much Internet-based, shopping more online than older residents, but many still came to McFarlan Rowlands because that was what their parents had done.

The business could help with someone who was trying to settle a claim and did so every day.

They could also provide information on a rapid basis. Someone buying a vehicle wanted to know instantly how much the insurance would cost for it.

The Aylmer office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“Aylmer’s a great town to have a business in, and live in,” Karen added.