The Home Based Business Market is a bi-annual event that is held in Merritt. Aside from highlighting different businesses, the event also gets involved with the community through donation. The market donated the fees from its most recent event to the Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary Thrift Shop. The amount will now be added to help the local healthcare services in the community.
On Saturday, November 18, the Home Based Business Market took place at the Merritt Civic Centre. The aim of the event was to showcase the varying products and services of home based businesses.
“This is for local home based businesses to showcase their products,” said organizer Ellen Miller. “We also had a few crafters there and some that do things from home and sells it privately.”
Everytime the market is hosted, it gets involved with the community through donating for various local causes. Last year, the vendor fees went to Lower Nicola residents who lost their home, and this time, the proceeds went to the local thrift store.
“It’s just our little way to support local organizations,” said Miller.
The Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary Thrift Shop received $300 from the recent Home Based Business Market. The donation will be added to the funds raised by the auxiliary to help the Nicola Valley’s healthcare services.
“We appreciate all donations very much, and it was wonderful to receive the one from the home based business group,” said Joanne Easdown, President of the Nicola Valley Healthcare Auxiliary. “It was wonderful to receive that donation and it will definitely help us do great work here in the community.”
Easdown described the thrift store as the “fundraising arm of the auxiliary.” The donation from the business market they’ve received will be added to their overall fundraising.
“The money that is donated to the thrift store is donated back to the different healthcare groups in Merritt and the Nicola Valley,” she explained.
“We donate to the hospital for equipment, we donate to Gillis for their long term patients’ needs, and we hand out bursaries to students going into a healthcare related program. We mostly deal with healthcare donations, but we also donate to the Soup Kitchen and the local Food Banks.”
Miller has been putting this event on twice a year for the past few years, excluding the time COVID-19 restrictions were in effect. The event, on averages attracts about 150 people. This time, there were 32 registered vendors with a wide range of products to offer.
“We had woodwork, glasswork, jewelry, skincare, reflexology, food, clothing, just a little bit of everything,” she noted. “I believe people are dying to get out and do something.”
For more information about the Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary Thrift Shop, please visit https://www.loc8nearme.com/british-columbia/merritt/thrift-shop-the/7042762/.
