GOODING, Idaho — North Canyon Medical Center's Auxiliary Thrift Store serves as a way for community members to purchase affordable products and raise funds for resources the hospital needs. Last year, the store raised more than half a million dollars, and they're hoping to raise more this year.
The store is run entirely by volunteers. During its three-month shutdown earlier this year as the pandemic started, volunteers used the time to sort out donations and organize the store. Now, business is back in full swing, and the store was recently able to make a $28,000 donation to help fund the construction of a chapel in North Canyon's main hospital.
"If you've been in our little hospital, it's a wonderful place if you have to go there. We're very blessed to have a facility like our hospital so it's a nice thing that we can donate to that," says store volunteer Di Peterson.
The donation puts the hospital over the $100,000 mark for dollars raised for the chapel. The overall cost for the project is $180,000.
The new chapel will serve as a way families, patrons, and staff can find peace in moments of distress.
"The chapel will really provide them, especially in a time of crisis, a place, a sanctuary, a place of rest to get away from everything going on in the hospital and not to be grieving or dealing with the stress in front of everybody else," says Shellie Amundson, North Canyon Community Relations Director.
The shop's volunteers are incredibly grateful for the residents of Gooding and surrounding communities who donated supplies, as well as those who have purchased products. Many feel without their support that the latest donation wouldn't have been possible.
They now hope to see regulars shop at the store through the holidays since they provide such affordable products.
"People are really looking for, you know, I hate to say a good deal, but it's kind of a good deal. We have things priced very reasonably, and you know, a lot of families are hurting, so we try to keep it so they can afford to come in," said Peterson.
While the hospital is one step closer towards reaching their goal for the chapel, they're not there just yet. Officials hope to see continued support from the community.
"Go to our hospital website. We would love to get as much community support to help build this chapel. Whether that's a financial contribution or an in-kind donation of the things that we need to get the chapel up and running," said Amundson.
For those who would like to donate to the Chapel Construction Project, click here. Officials hope to have the chapel up and running by the Spring of 2022.
