Sarnia-Lambton Rebound is celebrating the official grand opening of its storefront in downtown Sarnia, highlighting the ways it can support youth within the community.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday morning outside of The Refound Store, located near the intersection of Lochiel Street and Christina Street North.
Rebound Executive Director Michelle Holbrook called the store's grand opening a historical moment.
"We're almost 40 years old but this is a potential of sustainable funding for our agency, so every single dollar that is made here will go back into the youth programming in our community," Holbrook said.
However, she said the store offers other opportunities as well.
"It is about reducing waste and thinking about the environment but more importantly, it's about youth," she said. "We want to have youth makers in our space, selling their own wares, teaching them entrepreneurial skills, and showcasing their amazingness."
Holbrook said it's tough to say how many youth members will go through the store but there are several volunteer opportunities available.
For those interested in selling their gently used items to the store, there is a clothing drop-off station located at the back of the establishment. Inventory will start being accepted on May 10.
"People can come in and we process the clothes and we choose what we want to purchase and then it goes out into the store," said Holbrook.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Holbrook spoke about the significance of having an inclusive shopping establishment in the area and the numerous community partners who made the store possible.
The event included many elected municipal officials and members of the business community, including Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce CEO Carrie McEachran (who is also the former Executive Director of Sarnia-Lambton Rebound).
"I think this is absolutely amazing! I think promoting youth employment and entrepreneurship, promoting sustainability, bringing more revitalization downtown, and bringing people downtown... I think this is just an amazing thing," said McEachran.
Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey was also at Friday's event, not only as an elected official but as a representative of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). Sarnia-Lambton Rebound previously received $147,900 through the Resilient Communities Fund to hire staff and purchase equipment specifically for the store.
After perusing through the store, he said he was excited about the items for sale, noticing that some were new.
The Refound Store is located at 161 Lochiel St. Holbrook said the ReFound store will be open Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
During First Friday on May 3, the store will be open until 8 p.m. and will feature live music; Rebound Rocks will play at 5:30 p.m.
