Annual Impact Report
A MESSAGE FROM OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR
Experiencing life in a pandemic taught us all how to be resourceful and do more with less. In many ways, we now find ourselves well-positioned as a society to commit to a future of more value and less waste.
This future is the circular economy, which retains and recovers as much value as possible from resources by reusing, repairing, and recycling products and materials in an endless circle of sustainable and responsible use. It’s about seeing “waste” as a resource rather than a cost, and finding innovative ways to improve the environment and the economy together.
Innovation has always been part of our story here at The Salvation Army Thrift Store, National Recycling Operations (NRO). General William Booth founded The Salvation Army in the 19th century as a response to social concerns and designed to meet the needs of all humans without discrimination. In response to the need for jobs and affordable merchandise, and with a focus on preserving the land, Booth created the Household Salvage Brigade to collect and redistribute unwanted household items. Ever since, NRO has carried the torch forward, committed to both environmental and social stewardship.
The circular economy is all about doing business differently, and as a multi-faceted non-profit organization that gratefully makes a positive impact in our communities and on our planet each and every day, that’s exactly who we are.
Our focus on environmental and social responsibility is not just what makes us different, it’s what drives us forward. This is why we are excited to share this year’s Impact Report with our employees, guests, donors, and community partners to recognize and celebrate how we are contributing to the circular economy, caring for our neighbors, and thrifting our way to a sustainable future for all, together.
In this year’s report, you will read about the impact of your support through our ever-growing waste diversion efforts as one of Canada’s largest textile recyclers, our innovative community partnerships to further extend the lifecycle of usable goods, and our overall contributions to the frontline work of The Salvation Army through support of their social service programs and Emergency Disaster Services.
This past fiscal year, we also continued to demonstrate our values of equity, diversity, justice, and inclusion and are proud to be an official Employer Partner with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI).
We know our employees are our greatest resource, and my sincere appreciation goes to the over 1,900 individuals across the country who care for our communities and our environment every day, even as a pandemic continued around them.
I would also like to thank our wonderful Thrift Store family for their support during this past year.
Together, we are caring for our communities and the planet we share.
May God bless you,
Ted Troughton, Managing Director
The Salvation Army Thrift Store, National Recycling Operations