Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

KINDNESS KITS

Kamloops thrift store providing kindness kits over the summer months

Jul 8, 2019 | 4:27 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kindness Kits have been a popular way for Kamloops residents to help the homeless over the winter.

Now, the thrift store that produces these kits has come up with a summer version.

People can buy the summer kit from Second Chances Thrift Store for $5.

The money is donated to the SPCA and the kit is distributed to a person in need or partnering agency.

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Each kit is filled with items needed to survive the summer heat.

“It’s just five dollars a kit and that gets somebody in need a full set of clothing, a hat, a reusable water bottle and typically some sort of hygiene products that people donate as well,” said Kindness Kits program founder Bonnie McBride.

The thrift store is moving towards a zero-waste model with the kits, packing the items in pillow cases to cut down on single use plastics.

“That’s another very useable item for somebody that’s out on the street,” McBride said. “Because that bag is a little bit bigger, that pillow case is bigger than our typical bags, our partner agencies on the other end of the program, so CMHA and Love Hard Kamloops, ASK Wellness, have space to actually add those types of items in. They’ll take our kit, add other essential items in and then it becomes a full, really useable donation of things to give to an individual person.”