History of the CACE INC.

The Centre d’aide communautaire Embrun Inc. Second Hand Store was established in Spring 1979 under the federally funded “Canada Works” project, and sponsored by the Embrun chapter of the Union culturelle des Franco-Ontariennes (U.C.F.O). Initially housed in the Saint-Jacques Church sacristy, in Embrun, it moved in 1980, and again in 1990, to its current address at 330 New York Central Ave. The building was expanded in 1998, and a second time in 2008, testifying to its immense popularity. 

On August 4, 1998, the Centre was incorporated as a non-profit organization. Its mission: “To help Russell Township residents who are destitute and in need, and to promote community mutual aid”. In Fall 2023, the mission was reworded as follows: “To improve the living conditions of persons in need through various means and in a spirit of environmental responsibility, while respecting diversity and social inclusion.”

Today, the Centre relies on a team of dedicated employees and volunteers who ensure the smooth running of daily operations. A volunteer Board of Directors manages the Centre and makes strategic decisions. 

Donations of gently used clothing and other items are accepted for resale at affordable prices. Profits are then redistributed to the community in the form of donations to community organizations with social mandates. 

Faithful to the tradition established at the Centre’s inception, the team is very proud of its high recovery rate. Thanks to the Centre’s extensive network of associates who recover or recycle unsaleable items, very few of these items end up in the trash.

Despite many changes over the decades, one thing remains the same: the goal of contributing tangibly to the community’s well-being. Your support of the Centre d’aide communautaire Embrun Inc. Second Hand Store, in the form of item donations or purchases, enables us to achieve this goal.

Thank you!