$200,000 has been invested back into the community thanks to the Morden Community Thrift Shop's annual fall giving campaign. 
    
$20,000 had already been granted to the Morden Legion back in August for emergency repairs to Legion House 1, but the remaining $180,000 was given out to various organizations on Monday.

"It's our community that keeps us going. It's the community that supplies us with everything that we sell. Putting it back in the community, it's for the better of everybody. We all benefit from what we put back in," said Kent Noel, President of the Morden Community Thrift Shop board of directors. "Whether it's health, mental health (or) protection, it benefits everyone in our community."

Noel added, and it is the community that keeps the thrift shop going by donating the items that are sold there. All of the grant money doled out on Monday was generated through sales at the shop - items like 25-cent cups and $2 jeans. 

"It's amazing how it adds up...we save a lot of pennies," he said.

He credited the thrift shop's group of volunteers for their dedication.

"We are like a family here and we treat our community like family as well. When you're dealing with family, it's pretty easy to make decisions."

 

The full list of the fall grant recipients includes:

500 Stephen - $5,000.00 for new carpet tile

Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation - $40,000 for a mini-C arm that gives lower radiation than regular x-rays and OR/Diagnostics equipment

Many Hands Resource Center - $8,000 for food supplies and vouchers

Menzies Medical Centre - $30,000 for medical equipment

Morden Community Handivan - $10,000 to help with purchasing a new van

Morden Fire & Rescue - $10,000 to help with the expansion to the Fire Hall

Morden Police Service - $14,000 for upgrading their training equipment

Pembina Counselling Center - $10,000 for program/counselling assistance

Pembina Valley Humane Society - $5,000 to go towards the purchase of a new van

Pembina Valley Pregnancy Care - $3,000 for support services

STARS Ambulance Service - $40,000

Youth for Christ - $5000 for programming, the support staff and counseling