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Clearwater Men’s Shed volunteers build display case for hospital auxiliary thrift shop

Vavenby Thrift Store display keeps velvet from old showcase

The local Men’s Shed put together a display case for the Vavenby Unit of the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital auxiliary’s thrift shop.

Members of the Men’s Shed like to take on small projects for the community, Chuck Neathway told the Clearwater Times.

“It’s amazing the talent there is in these towns. The Men’s Shed pulled us all together,” he said.

“We’ve got one guy that is a machinist, I’m a heavy-duty mechanic, Bob Foulkes is a mechanic. It’s just a lot of good people coming together.”

Last month’s project of the display case follows the men’s project of a bicycle-blender for the town to use at the farmers market. The Vavenby auxiliary thrift shop had donated a bicycle and a blender for that project and were in need of a display case upgrade.

The Men’s Shed is a social space for its members, currently 22 men, who are mostly over the age of 65. It was established roughly a year ago to give local men an opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy each other’s company.

According to Vavenby Thrift Store volunteer Mary Neathway, who is also Chuck’s wife, the new display case replaces an old showcase and shelving unit which was bulky and weathered down with scratches.

“With donations of supplies from Ted Weaver, Bob Foulkes, Ron Colbourne Jim Zsendai and the Men’s Shed stash, a beautifully crafted case was created,” she said.

Replacing the unit means that customers will be able to see the merchandise better. However, volunteers from the Men’s Shed installed the velvet from the old showcase into the new display case, to keep the connection with the past.

Men’s shed volunteers listened to Vavenby Thrift Store volunteer’s ideas as they took measurements for the new space-efficient case, then followed through by installing the new case and hauling away the old one, she added.

“The Vavenby Thrift Store volunteers know the importance of community support and look forward to seeing what the Men’s Shed members can create next.”

The thrift shop has been operating for decades to support the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital’s equipment needs.

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About the Author: Morgana Adby, Local Journalism Initiative

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