From sorting donations to supporting maintenance work around building, volunteers like Terry McGee provide a lot of help for organizations like New to You thrift store in Fergus.
McKee, who has been volunteering with New to You since June 2016, is a former electrician with over 50 years of experience. After being let go, McKee put his old and new skills to work to help support New to You's overall goal of benefiting Groves Community Hospital.
“The biggest reason I go there is that I have something to do and I enjoy what I do,” said McKee. “New to You, they are the ones who are helping out for the community, I just feel I’m helping out for them.”
When McKee started volunteering, he said he would put in 40 hours a week. Clare Palmer, a manager at New to You, mentions pre-pandemic, McKee would put in four full days.
"Terry does so much for the store and supports both the staff and volunteers wherever he can," said Palmer in an email. "He has an extremely positive and easy-going personality with always a story to tell."
Currently, McKee only volunteers 16 hours weekly, but still participates in four shifts. Working within the pre-sort department, McKee and other volunteers oversee all new donations that come into the store.
“It was a full-time job, but that’s what I was looking for,” he said. “I know a lot of the customers and I know a lot of donors and it’s a good place to work.”
Besides overseeing all the donations that come in, McKee will help sort in different departments, like clothing and houseware items. Outside of his volunteer shifts, McKee also enjoys helping with maintenance work around New to You. Some of these tasks, like small electrical work and building projects, have helped the organization keep expenses down.
“I used to do a lot of maintenance work down where I used to work before,” said McKee. “Last week, we put a couple lights in for the art, to give more light to the art.
“We try to do these little jobs when nobody’s there, when the store is closed, so we’re not working around customers and worrying about customers getting hurt.”
With all that he has done for New to You, Palmer said McKee is a huge part of the organization.
“He goes above and beyond what is needed and is always the first to offer a helping hand to our volunteers, customers, donors and staff."
Prior to the pandemic, Palmer mentions McKee would also help with setting up for special events, including volunteer socials, Christmas Bazaars and more.
“We had a summer BBQ (pre-COVID) and it was a Luau themed party. Terry built a Tiki bar for the refreshments, it was amazing and our volunteers loved it.”
During his five years of volunteering at New to You, McKee said he hasn’t met a bad person while working there.
“They’re great people to work for, everybody who comes in there to volunteer is easily good people,” said McKee. “If I didn’t like it, I would’ve moved on, but I do.”
He goes on to mention that New to You is a "good organization" and supports the work it does for Groves Community Hospital.
“I figured that’s one of the best organizations we have in town and they need all the money they can get right now, and I think they’re going about it the right way as far as I’m concerned.”
Within the community, McKee points out there are lots of volunteers and organizations in need of them.
“There’s always something to do, all you’ve got to do is look around and as soon as you find something, go on in and ask, the worst thing they can say to you is ‘No,’ and the best thing they can say is ‘Sure, come on in,’” McKee said about anyone interested in volunteering more.
As for his role at New to You, McKee plans to continue volunteering his time there.
“I enjoy it there, I really do, and if they put me in a home, I’ll still go up there.”
