Foothills AIM Society client Perry Thompson helps carry a couch to a customer's truck at the Salvage Centre, located south of Okotoks. The AIM Society has assumed responsibility of the facility from the Foothills Recycling Society. photo by Tamara Neely

There will be some new faces helping folks carry furniture and other household items at the Salvage Centre starting this month.

A new agreement has been struck between the Foothills Recycling Society, which had been managing the Salvage Centre, and the Foothills Advocacy in Motion (AIM) Society. The AIM Society, which supports adults with developmental disabilities, will be providing the majority of the manpower needed at the Salvage Centre to help carry and sort books, toys, clothing and household items donated by the community.

The Salvage Centre provides a place where people can drop off their used goods and people can pick it up for a garage-sale type of price. The revenue generated is donated to non-profit organizations in the foothills area.

The Salvage Centre is extremely successful. It keeps unwanted items out of the landfill and it provides people in need a place where they can access household goods. For example, clients of the Rowan House Emergency Shelter are provided with items they need to start their lives over after fleeing domestic violence.

The centre is also financially successful. In 2009 it donated approximately $100,000 in revenue to non-profit organizations in the area.

However, the growth of the Salvage Centre was placing a strain on the volunteer team running the operation. The recycling society was looking for help and the AIM Society stepped up.

Clients of the AIM Society need job skill development opportunities and the Salvage Centre needs willing and able volunteers. Mary Willis, past-president of the Foothills Recycling Society, saw the potential for the AIM Society to help the Salvage Centre remain a viable entity.

As the steady core of volunteers who had been manning the depot were struggling to keep up with the increasing demands at the centre — both time and physical demands — Willis said she realized volunteers coming from the AIM Society were thriving on the work.

“We have some really dedicated, long-serving volunteers, but it’s hard to find enough people to be there every day. Our volunteers are aging and many are retiring, so they like to go away during the winter,” Willis said.

Tom Cooper, an employee of the AIM Society, for example, has been assisting Perry ThompsonXX, an AIM client, with his volunteer commitment at the Salvage Centre.

“Tom and Perry were doing a great job, and their successful contribution got me thinking,” said Willis.

Willis pitched the idea to the AIM Society asking if they would take over the management of the Salvage Centre.

AIM agreed to become more involved in the governance, management and operation of the Salvage Centre. The change will provide greater opportunities for AIM clients, help AIM to mitigate shortfalls in government funding, as well as continue to provide donations to community organizations.

In January both societies reached an agreement and eight of the recycling society’s directors stepped down, four new directors from the AIM Society were appointed and Willis shifted from president of the recycling society to vice-president.

Vince Kimura, AIM Society executive director, said although a formal decision has not yet been made, revenues will likely be distributed to a new paid manager, non-profit organizations and the AIM Society itself.

“For the next year we hope the total revenue will be $150,000. Covering the manager and a few staffing costs will be approximately $50,000. So, approximately $100,000 will be available for disbursement and our thinking is the AIM Society will benefit from 50 per cent of that and the other 50 per cent will be distributed to local not-for-profit groups.”

Kimura said working at the Salvage Centre has been beneficial for AIM clients such as Perry Thompson.

“Perry has had challenges with consistent employability and his involvement has helped stabilize him. I’ve seen an overall improvement in his self-confidence and I think he gets the feeling that he’s valued out there.”

Indeed, he is valued at the Salvage Centre.

“He’s quite a strong guy and is able to do a lot of the lifting — that is what was taxing the other volunteers,” said Kimura.

The Salvage Centre is open six days per week Monday through Saturday and is located at the Foothills Regional Waste Management Facility.

tneely@okotoks.greatest.ca

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