Two Granby Businesses Partner to Benefit Community Kitchen

A partnership between two Granby businesses will raise necessary funds for the town's community kitchen, which benefits residents in need.

Pet store has donated $5,000 worth of clothing to , which will then sell the clothes and put 90 percent of the proceeds towards the town's Waste Not Want Not community kitchen at the . The program's goal is to raise a total of $20,000 for necessary repairs and code improvements at the kitchen.

"Horses and Hounds hopes to challenge everyone in the area to help [the businesses] attain their goal," said Horses and Hounds owner Sue Okie.

Okie has been involved with the Waste Not Want Not community kitchen for about a year, volunteering her time with the organization. Raising money for the community kitchen, which serves a weekly dinner to individuals and families in need each and every Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., seemed like a positive way for Okie to benefit the cause.

"We were looking for a way to help out," she said.

Top Drawer consignment has drastically dropped its usual consignment fee of 40 percent to only 10 percent for all clothes sold to benefit the community kitchen. Private donations and other means have already raised $3,000 for the project, so the businesses have a starting block to add on to with their clothing donation and sale plan.

"It's awesome to try and help," Okie said. "It's the right thing to do."

Employees at Top Drawer were excited by the cooperative plan to raise money for the kitchen as well. The products themselves are durable and high quality, including blue jeans and Carhartt cotton duck work pants.

"We're interested in helping any way in the community that we can," said Marcy Plourde of Top Drawer.

With both businesses benefiting a charity, the community kitchen raising money to stay in operation and local residents getting quality clothing at discount prices, everyone involved gets something positive.

"It's a win-win for everybody," Okie said.

Customer response at the consignment shop has been very positive despite the charity sale effort having only gone on for less than a week, according to Plourde. The business is is trying to sell as much of the merchandise marked for donation as they can.

"It's going great," Plourde said. "We've sold a lot."

The goal of the project is to raise the $20,000, which is needed to keep the community kitchen in operation. There is no time deadline for the effort.

"Whenever the pants run out, that's our limit," Okie said.

From Horses and Hounds owner Sue Okie: Please visit Top Drawer Consignment, Horses and Hounds or visit www.wastenotwantnotcommunitykitchen.org to make a donation. The Waste Not Want Not Community Kitchen is an important and vital part of the town and we are very proud to support it.