New Westminster boutique encouraging shoppers to gift sustainable items this holiday season
Posted December 11, 2023 1:58 pm.
A boutique that doubles as a thrift store and social enterprise is hoping the power of sustainable gift-giving can help support those in need this holiday season.
The Union Gospel Mission (UGM)’s Found Boutique in New Westminster sends 100 per cent of its net proceeds from thrift items to help people overcome homelessness, addictions, and poverty. The artisans also get a portion of their own products’ sales, with the rest going to the UGM’s work across eight Lower Mainland locations.
“We get to pour into our community in New Westminster and also just be able to serve a community and lower that barrier when it comes to shopping,” Sarah Chew, UGM spokesperson, told CityNews on Monday.
Found Boutique started in 2020 as a store featuring items such as jewelry, skincare, and brand-name fashion clothing but now is a newly revamped thrift boutique with 20+ B.C.-based artisans. Found Boutique also accepts donations at the UGM’s Thrift Store location on East Hastings in Vancouver.
“When someone shops at Found … [they] get to support our local B.C. small businesses. And a lot of our businesses are women-owned or Indigenous-owned. And so it’s a way to support all these communities,” Chew said.
She adds inflation has affected “everything and everyone” this year so the “boutique is a way to give people that experience of shopping for things they might need or want, but lowering that financial barrier, and also still having that elevated experience.”
Nancy Wingham, the co-founder of Nuez Acres, a female-led, Indigenous-owned business, says supporting small businesses can help not just UGM’s causes and the businesses financially but also the environment, especially during the holidays.
“Christmas is one of those seasons where there is so much waste created, whether it’s on the wrapping paper that is not recyclable … the fashion industry, it creates a lot of waste,” she said.
Wingham’s brand sells facial oils, hair oils, and moisturizers from pecans sourced from her family’s farm in Mexico.
“It’s really important, especially in where we’re going … with the change in the climate, to really be so mindful of our gifting … making sure that we’re not just creating more waste but we are also are creating an environmental purpose, and repurposing whether it is through fashion or through other items,” Wingham said.
“We know that fast fashion contributes a lot to retail waste and textile waste,” Chew added. “And so by buying something at Found that has been pre-loved, you’re getting to reduce, reuse, and recycle, while also shopping for something amazing.”
She explains the public is seeing the importance of sustainable shopping and gift-giving with the amount of thrift shops opening up recently.
“It’s becoming more popular because, you know, people still want to buy clothes but maybe spend a little less … one small purchase might be light on your wallet and make a huge impact for everyone in Metro Vancouver and businesses.”
