A thrift store with a big heart is doing much more than helping locals score a good deal on vintage finds. Share Nelson, a 7,000-square-foot non-profit thrift store, quietly powers one of the city’s most essential food programs – Our Daily Bread – serving up to 80 hot meals every weekday.
“Every single purchase or donation here supports Our Daily Bread upstairs,” says Share Nelson manager Steve Boyce. “People aren’t just shopping; they’re being philanthropic without even realizing it.”
While items range from books and seasonal tools to vintage furniture and clothing, its true mission lies above the shop floor, where the kitchen team prepares three-course meals – soup, salad and a hot meal – for those facing food insecurity.
For $25, anyone can purchase a meal card that covers 22 meals, bringing the cost to just over $1 per plate.
“You don’t get a coffee for $1.40 these days,” Boyce says. “It’s priceless for a lot of people.”
And the need for such a service has only grown. Our Daily Bread serves seniors, working families, newcomers and people without homes, Boyce says, noting the program has remained accessible despite inflation, thanks to consistent support from the store below.
Share Nelson employs eight staff and covers operational costs like rent and salaries, but its profits go directly toward keeping Our Daily Bread running.
“Inflation is evident everywhere and we haven't raised prices in two years,” Boyce says. “If we’re feeding the community, we should also be helping clothe them.”
That philosophy shows in policies like offering free children’s clothing, which helps local parents stretch tight budgets and making furniture affordable for students and newcomers getting established.
“Clothing and furnishings are just as essential,” Boyce says. “We’ve got people arriving from all over and we want to help them feel at home.”
For Boyce and his co-manager Tyler Scott, the work is personal. Both men grew up in low-income families in Ontario and understand firsthand how meaningful support can be.
“I remember my mom taking us to thrift stores in Scarborough in the ’90s because that’s what we could afford,” Boyce says. “This is familiar to us. We’ve been there.”
Now, he says, they take pride in offering the same lifeline to others, especially those trying to find their footing.
Although Share Nelson has operated for years, first on Lakeside Drive and now in the former bowling alley location, many longtime locals are still unaware of its mission.
“Some people shop here and don’t realize we’re a non-profit,” Boyce says. “We’re not just another thrift store. We’re here for the community.”
Share Nelson is open Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm at 520A Falls Street. For more information, or to donate, visit sharenelson.com.