Check It Out: Find your lane and stay in it

By Joan Janzen

A woman admitted she was a hoarder but now calls herself a recycling bin enthusiast. While everyone is recycling their used items, we can’t help but notice there is plenty of new merchandise that gets thrown out. Faytene Grasseschi on Faytene TV interviewed a group of people who are helping to put all those overstocked and returned items to good use.

Edmonton resident Brett Esslinger started CityServe Edmonton in March of this year. Since then, over $1 million worth of new merchandise has been distributed free of charge to non-profit and charitable organizations in the area.

As pastor of Saints Church in Edmonton, Brett was looking for ways for their church to connect with the community and be part of their neighbourhood. They tried various things and found what they were looking for in February of this year. At that time, a pastor from Ontario, who is part of CityServe in St. Catherine’s, asked if they wanted to join that organization.

“He invited us to join, and that got us started to what is now CityServe Edmonton,” Brett explained, adding that any city that has an Amazon Fulfillment Centre can join. CityServe Edmonton is the second site in Canada.

Faytene asked Brett how the organization operates? “CityServe works with major retailers to find a place for their overstocked and returned items, which they’ve got to clear,” he said. The items are not damaged or broken.

“We offer them a charitable receipt for fair market value, then we pass the merchandise on to charitable organizations and anyone who is a non-profit.” That includes camps, shelters, churches, and daycares.

Saints Church receives shipments by the semi truck load which are delivered to a warehouse, which a generous businessman donated. Their biggest partner is Amazon.

After the merchandise arrives, a team of eighty volunteers categorizes all the items, and community partners sign up for the items they need. “We ship the merchandise on pellets straight to the organization,” Brett said. This is done with the help of trucking partners.

“We don’t have a single paid employee, which is a big part in keeping down our costs.” However, they do charge a small fee for each pellet to help cover some of the costs.

One of their key volunteers is a former city counsellor, who reaches out to organizations and offers them a tour of the warehouse so they can see the quality brand-name items available. Then, the organization signs up and requests what types of items they can use. Those items include everything from houseware, school supplies, electric scooters, appliances, furniture and more.

Partners sign up in an internal vulnerability index, which means if they serve the most vulnerable in their community, the partner will be given top priority. This allows CityServe to target those communities that have the greatest need.

Although MLAs have toured their facility, Brett said they don’t do anything to promote their organization. “We are trying to partner with organizations who are already doing great things and give them a hand up.”

The hand up included sending truckloads of housewares and bedding to northern reserves during the fires in Alberta, but it doesn’t stop there. They have helped overhaul non-profit daycares, and church nurseries. “We are trying to chase down the needs. There’s some tears, big smiles, deep heartfelt gratitude,” Brett said.

“People are confused, wondering why we’re doing this. We’re here to love our city and provide the absolute best. We’re not giving somebody else’s leftovers; they are getting stuff they wouldn’t be able to afford.”

While all that has been done by the folks at Saints Church is impressive, it’s only phase one. Brett and Saints Church have plans for phases two and three.

“In phase two, we’ll reach out to communities that don’t have an Amazon Fulfilment centre to see what we can truck out to different communities and hubs that already exist in other locations,” he explained. Phase three will involve launching an app to connect churches with the needs in their community.

“I’m a big believer that once you find your lane and stay in it, you will be able to serve your community and reach the people you need to reach,” Brett concluded.

Of course, he wants to see CityServe multiplied all across Canada. I hope his story not only encourages you but inspires you to step up and find a way to help out in your community.

It’s obvious there’s a whole lot of needs to be met wherever we live, but there’s also a whole lot of wasted products that could meet those needs. Let’s find our lane and stay in it so we can help serve our communities.