The Children’s Thrift Sale (CTS) began in the basement of the KMFRC over 20 years ago with a group of military spouses enjoying coffee, conversation and playtime with their children and had the idea to give back to their community by starting a community thrift sale for gentle used children’s clothes. As the years passed and the sale grew in popularity and size, it took up residence twice per year at its current home, the Thompson Drill Hall on CFB Kingston.
Every spring and fall, 100 vendors register to sell their gently used children’s clothing, toys, books, baby supplies and more. This 100% volunteer-run sale usually takes place on a Saturday in a carefully organized whirlwind of activity.
From set-up to take-down, the sale is orchestrated over two days by a small volunteer committee, some of which are original members, with the assistance of dozens of community volunteers. Many volunteers as well as vendors return for every CTS. Volunteers earn perks as rewards for their work in the form of discounted vendor registration at the sale, the privilege of a pre-shop experience and the ability to keep their vendor number for the next sale.
This past spring, the Children’s Thrift Sale celebrated its 20th anniversary with community sponsors and gift bags for our amazing volunteers. We have made so many wonderful memories over the years and are proud to be able to give back to our community in the form of monetary donation from the proceeds of the sale to community organizations like the KMFRC. As a committee, we work hard to give back to our community and as always, we look forward to seeing returning volunteers.
We especially welcome new volunteers and vendors in the hopes of continuing to grow for years to come. If you are interested to become a volunteer, please contact us at thechildrensthriftsale@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at @thechildrensthriftsale.