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NICOLE BUFFIE\/FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Tara, a volunteer with Linking Hope, sorts women\u2019s clothes Saturday afternoon at the non-profit organization\u2019s new warehouse at 323 Edwin St.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe literally could not do this without our volunteers,\u201d Courchaine said. \u201cEvery idea that has made this place better is mostly coming from the volunteers.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a bite of pizza, the volunteers returned to work sorting clothes, moving pallets of donations around the warehouse and figuring out how best to organize the space.<\/p>\n
The move to the new warehouse was a bit hasty: in March the province announced the N\u2019Dinawemak \u2013 Our Relatives\u2019 Place emergency shelter would be closed April 1 and transformed into a navigation centre for homeless people.<\/p>\n
The non-profit organization, which takes in donations and supplies them to more than 120 agencies across Manitoba, had been located in the building and was suddenly left without a headquarters.<\/p>\n
The new warehouse is about the same size as their former space, but having a permanent home presents a future of opportunity to the organization.<\/p>\n
A portion of Linking Hope\u2019s warehouse is currently being rented by another company, but come December the lease will be up and the non-profit will take it over to make room for a partnership with United Way.<\/p>\n
The pair will run United Way\u2019s Koats for Kids program there, as well as other initiatives.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t NICOLE BUFFIE\/FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Linking Hope volunteers sort donations Saturday afternoon at the non-profit organization\u2019s new warehouse at 323 Edwin St.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a \u2018meant to be\u2019 moment,\u201d said Kristie Pearson, Linking Hope\u2019s founder. \u201cIt was sad because we developed such great relationships with staff at N\u2019Dinawemak but I just know this is a great move for us.\u201d<\/p>\n N\u2019Dinawemak\u2019s original closing date of April 1 was pushed back to allow for better co-ordination among social agencies. Sources previously told the Free Press the province\u2019s announcement didn\u2019t give the city\u2019s organizations enough time to prepare for the closure and relocation of nearly 200 residents.<\/p>\n For Linking Hope, the work they do needed to continue so the organization secured the warehouse on Edwin Street.<\/p>\n Linking Hope takes in surplus stock from retailers like Western Glove Works and Mark\u2019s work apparel company, but also receives returned items from warehouse giant Costco and donations from individuals. From there, the items are sorted by category and displayed for the weekly Wednesday shop, when agencies come in to get their own inventory to give to clients.<\/p>\n They also store large quantities of donations other organizations get but don\u2019t have room for.<\/p>\n The deal not only helps Linking Hope stay connected to all the non-profits in the city, but helps organizations get to know each other, too.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cI feel like our organizations all work separately, and sometimes to our disadvantage,\u201d said Courchaine, who serves as Linking Hope\u2019s agency coordinator. \u201cThe business world has councils and everything that keeps them all connected, but the nonprofit world has nothing, so that\u2019s what we try to be.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t NICOLE BUFFIE\/FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Linking Hope volunteers sort donations Saturday afternoon at the non-profit organization\u2019s new warehouse at 323 Edwin St.<\/p>\n By taking care of the donation aspect of non-profit work, volunteers and employees at their respective agencies can also focus on providing services to clients, Courchaine said.<\/p>\n In addition to the new space, Linking Hope has further plans to work with the community by coordinating community walks with the Downtown Community Safety Partnership.<\/p>\n After settling into their new home and getting organized, Linking Hope will resume operations June 3.<\/p>\n nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Nicole Buffie Nicole Buffie is a reporter for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College\u2019s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom as a multimedia producer in 2023. Read more about Nicole<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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