Saanich, B.C., charity seeks clothing and household donations after summer fire

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Vancouver Island executive director Derek Pace.

A Saanich, B.C., charity is asking people to donate unwanted household items while cleaning out their closets after the charity lost hundreds of articles of clothing in a fire.

“We’re seeing a lot of support come in since we put the call out and we’re very thankful for it,” says Derek Pace, executive director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Vancouver. “We want to keep that momentum going.”

In July, staff say a storage shed outside its Cloverdale Avenue thrift shop was damaged by fire – forcing staff to throw out fall and winter inventory that had been saved for store shelves.

The team is asking the public to consider them with their donations, which includes a request for small household items such as blankets.

“When you donate to St. Vincent de Paul you know that money is going to do good in the community,” says Pace. People can drop off donations between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The Saanich Police Department says the fire happened in an alleyway around 11 p.m. on July 23. SPD’s forensic investigation section was asked to document the scene – and asks anyone with information to call police at 250-475-4321.

Saanich firefighters say the cause of the fire has not been determined.