After a dozen years at their current location, staff members and volunteers at The Lending Cupboard are thrilled with a coming move to a new location on the City’s north end.

The great ‘Cupboard Conversion’ will soon be underway at the new facility, located at 7803 – 50th Ave. on the east side of Gaetz Avenue, across from the northside Rona store.

This new, highly visible and easy-to-access location will have ample parking for clients and it will also essentially double The Lending Cupboard’s size, said Dawna Morey, executive director. She said after renovations, staff and volunteers expect to be operating at the new site by Aug. 1st.

“It’s really about creating a strong, sustainable base here – and a central base,” she explained of the 6,200 sq. ft. space.

The Lending Cupboard lends out medical equipment at no cost across Central Alberta, and it continues to meet a growing need across the region. The organization is a registered not-for-profit society and was founded by Jaqui Joys in the summer of 2006.

“It is just such a humbling feeling to know that you are helping people in their lives. I’m very fortunate that I have an incredible staff and an incredible group of volunteers that have committed to this organization,” said Morey.

The organization operates through some support from Alberta Health Services, with the bulk of support stemming from grants, fundraising and private donations.

Equipment available runs the gamut from wheelchairs, walkers, bath chairs and commodes to crutches and canes, hydraulic lifts and bed rails.

Meanwhile, it’s a tremendous opportunity for better serving clients with more room to display the medical equipment, more space for volunteers to work and more parking as well.

Morey said they hope to take early possession of the space in June and undertake an ambitious renovation project to make the new space a thoroughly comfortable, functional Lending Cupboard home with plenty of room to grow over the next decade.

”The move itself comes with costs, of course, and doubling our size also involves increased operational costs. To that end, we will be counting on our generous community’s support as always,” she said, adding that the goal for this campaign is $500,000.

Meeting rooms, some offices and a board room need to be constructed within the space, for starters.

“We are asking the community to think of the value of an agency like ours,” she said, adding that it’s likely that, at some point in life, most people will make use of The Lending Cupboard’s services either for themselves or for a friend or loved one.

“We’ve got a strong reputation in the community, we’ve been growing enormously. We continue to fill that gap,” she said. “And it’s not just in Red Deer – we are filling that gap across Central Alberta. So we are asking people to think about how they can come alongside and help us so that we can continue to do what we do.

“We know that people in Central Alberta care for each other, because they step up to the plate.

“The community can also think of us when they need those pieces of equipment before they think of going to buy it, especially if their income is such that it would be a burden (to purchase it). We are here to support the individual client, and also to support those people who are caring for loved ones in their own homes.”

The vice chair of The Lending Cupboard’s board of directors, Bradley Williams, is serving as the chair of the Spring Cupboard Campaign.

Meanwhile, those interested in joining the committee or learning more about corporate sponsorship, or any other aspect of the campaign, are invited to contact him at bradleydwilliams2@gmail.com.

They can also contact Morey at executivedirector@lendingcupboard.ca or by calling 403-356-1678 ext. 202.

Check out www.lendingcupboard.ca for more information about the organization or about volunteer opportunities.