A Burnaby thrift store that funds after-school programs for underprivileged students is looking for a new home it can afford.
Since opening in 2013, the BASES Family Thrift Store, located at 7825 Edmonds St., has raised nearly $834,000 for programs at Burnaby and New Westminster schools, according to a presentation Tuesday to the Burnaby school board.
Last year, the store funded more than 60 different initiatives, including things like a bike-repair program, summer camps and purchases of sports and tech equipment, for 1,059 elementary, 1,110 secondary and 245 preschool kids.
Over the last 10 years, however, BASES has seen its rent more than double from $12 per square foot to $29 per square foot.
And when its lease expires in 17 months, it expects another rent hike.
"Our rent is seriously impacting how we serve our community," BASES president Peggy Woodruff told trustees.
Woodruff appealed to the board for help.
"We need your help to find a place where we can continue to operate the store and fund programming," she said.
BASES is looking for an affordable store location with a long-term lease close to the schools they serve in the Kingsway-Edmonds area.
The space should be transit friendly and have good foot and vehicle traffic, Woodruff said.
She pointed to the store's proven track record over the past 10 years, calling it a "successful social enterprise."
"Most new businesses fail in the first seven years," she said. "We have proven that we can support the community in multiple ways and support the community well."
School board chair Bill Brassington thanked Woodruff for the presentation but didn't make any promises.
"We have a space need for our students as it is," he said.
BASES (short for Burnaby Association for the South East Side) has spent the last few months seeking partners that could help, according to Woodruff.
Later this month, she said the nonprofit will bring its pitch to Burnaby city council.
Meanwhile, the thrift store's 17 months at its current location are ticking down.
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