The Adult and Teen Challenge Super Thrift Store in Brandon is in full swing for 2021, and Store Manager, Aaron Murray, is looking ahead at ways to help their community through programming for those struggling with addictions, as well as their families and friends.

Murray and his wife, Tara, are trying to reach more into the community through their ‘concerned persons group’ where they meet with families and loved ones of addicts through a 9-week course. “It’s just going over how to love someone who is in addiction and now to enable them, to give them a little bit of tough love and some boundaries to truly help them, rather than giving in to all of their requests and needs.”    

So far they have facilitated three of these courses, sharing their own personal stories of overcoming additions and how to help families in this difficult season of their lives. “With a lot of our programs in our region, more than 50 per cent [of the leaders] have been through the program. So, I think that helps. The students in the program see that this leader has been through it and then knows that they get it, they know how hard it is in the program, and how hard it is to change. But it gives them motivation too,” he shares.

Looking forward to a New Year, Murray expects a great 2021.  "I think it's going to be our best year yet," he says. "If anyone wants to get involved they can either donate at the store, or volunteer, or just come and shop.  We have a lot of great things here at our thrift store.  If you've never been to a thrift store I encourage you to come down.  It's very clean and we have a lot of stuff here at our gynormous store!

"We're looking forward to serving our community and helping to serve the students in our program," he adds.

Visit the Teen and Adult Challenge Super Thrift Store at 127-7th Street, Brandon, MB for dropping off donations or perusing through this two-level thrift shop. 

Murray says, going into the new year, their thrift shop is in need of more household items, dishes, small kitchen appliances and knick-knacks.

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Written by Betty Sawatzky