While it may not look like much on the outside, several Dunbar Street merchants are inside making preparations to move. The Hob, nestled in the block between 26th and 27th, is no exception.
The thrift shop (short for Hospice Opportunity Boutique) first opened its doors in 2006. The 1,800 sq. ft store was set up as a fundraising tool for the Vancouver Hospice Society, with 100 per cent of the proceeds supporting the organization. But given recent plans to expand Stong’s Market along that stretch, the Hob will be relocating to 2236 West 41st Ave. in Kerrisdale come 2015.
“We entertained two locations on Main Street, a few on Cambie and on Broadway, but we identified Kerrisdale was the optimum one to facilitate our volunteers, donors and customers,” said Irene Regan of the Hob’s steering committee.
According to Regan, the move is bittersweet.
“We’ve built a business here for the last nine years, so we’re really sorry to leave. With any luck, we’ll not only keep the customers we have, but we’ll get new ones and we’ll get new donations. It could be really positive,” she said.
Cathleen Rowlette, who’s been volunteering at the store since the store first opened, told the Courier expansion projects like the one on Dunbar aren’t necessarily healthy for the community.
“I personally feel that neighbourhoods are being eroded,” she said. “A lot of the ma and pa shops are being lost. You’re getting a lot of people who would prefer to drive to a big box store rather than stroll along through the neighbourhood.”
Rowlette anticipates seniors, who live close by and are limited by mobility, will miss the Hob.
“This doesn’t only fulfill a clothing function. A lot of people come in for social reasons. Sometimes they come in and they’re lonely and upset, other people come in because it’s such a warm place to be,” she said.
Regan and Rowlette both agreed the boutique wouldn’t be able to function without its 80-some volunteers.
“There’s not one paid staff member. We have one lady who works practically every day of the week. Even if people aren’t assigned to a regular shift, there’s a core of them that come in just to make sure everything’s running OK,” Regan added.
Besides the many helping hands over the years, the Hob has also seen a significant increase in sales.
What started with a few hundred bucks a day has now grown to around $1,000 a day.
Regan said that money is a lifeline to the Vancouver Hospice Society and the end-of-life services clients can access.
“You’re looking at $350 a day for a bed, times that by six, it costs over $2,000 a day. It’s been challenging to get support from Vancouver Coastal Health because they require a minimum of 10 to 12 beds. We’ve kept it small because we didn’t want it to feel like an institution,” she said.
All in all, the pair is enthusiastic about the move because it will “shake things up.”
The steering committee will take possession of the Kerrisdale location in January, with March 1 being the tentative opening date.
The original Hob was located at 3352 Dunbar St. until it moved to its current home in 2011.
Its distant cousin, Hob Too (which sells furniture and collectables), is down the road at 3470 Dunbar St.
