Last Thursday’s grand opening of a new retail outlet in Langford was what you might call a WIN-win situation.
Both the West Shore and Victoria Women In Need Community Co-operative consumers stand to benefit from the opening of the non-profit organization’s new resale shop at 735 Goldsteam Ave.
The Goldstream Station store is its fourth location, complementing outlets on Cook, Pandora and Westside Village Shopping Centre.
Natalie Beach-Day, the new store’s manager who recently relocated here from England, where she worked for OXFAM and her husband was stationed at HMS Sultan, was elated by the response.
“I researched all the non-profits in the area and this was a perfect fit for me,” said Beach-Day, who greeted 400 customers by noon Thursday.
Denise Blackwell, Langford’s acting mayor, said the community embraces such initiatives, noting it also supported Habitat for Community when that social enterprise moved into the area.
“We’re happy to have things in our community that help people get ahead,” said Blackwell before the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“It makes it a more whole, livable and sustainable community when you can help everybody in it.”
Strong winds and rain didn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm at the location near Goldstream Village roundabout’s musical fountain, described by one Vegas-loving wag as “Langford’s Bellagio.”
A bonus was the appearance of a dazzling rainbow after Blackwell cut the ribbon — a sight some regarded as a harbinger of a bright future for the new WIN store.
Guests enjoyed complimentary coffee, snacks and tasty homemade baked goods donated by Michelle Popoff, a transformation program recipient who operates Apple Blossom Bakery.
“I love second-hand shopping, so I’ve already started,” said West Shore Chamber of Commerce executive director Julie Lawlor, holding up a bag full of clothing.
Briana James, WIN’s marketing and communications co-ordinator, said the new store’s opening was two years in the making.
“We wanted to come to Langford because it’s such a vibrant community and we wanted to connect with people who’ve come into town to shop at our WIN stores,” she said.
Sales of donated men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, books and other items will help WIN assist more women through empowerment programs, said executive director Clare Yazganoglu.
Programs help women with education, retraining, wellness and moving from transition houses into their own homes, including an initiative that provides gift-certificates for women to discreetly purchase essential items.
“This makes a huge difference and it gives us a chance to expand our retail shops and programs and let us really connect with the community,” Yazganoglu said.
“The stores are the way we run all our programs, so, without them, we couldn’t do the things we do. We’re 100 per cent self-sufficient, and that’s what we also promote.”
The new store provides an opportunity to broaden their reach in conjunction with other regional partners, including Bridges for Women and Sooke Transition House, she said.
“We’ve been welcomed so warmly here,” added program co-ordinator Nicky Fast. “I had a conversation with a woman this morning who said it’s so greatly needed out here.”
Joshua Schmidt, projects and relations manager for West Shore Chamber of Commerce, concurred.
“WIN is a great fit because they provide a great number of social services alongside the retail shop,” he said.
“They’re bringing some critical infrastructure to an area that traditionally has not had access to a lot of social services and does need them. A lot of people have been traveling downtown to access these services, so this is a great boon for the West Shore.”
