New gift shop adding funds for Gleaners

Classic Boutique & Gift Ware, located at 224 Talbot Street West, Leamington, beside McDonalds, is now open for business. The store, operated by sisters Earlene Gould and Helen Clark, opened Saturday, July 20 and is solely run by volunteers with profits going to help Southwestern Ontario Gleaners and the overall running costs associated with bringing their food items to those in need. 

“Every person you see in the shop here are volunteers,” said Earlene Gould.

“We could not do it without the volunteers,” added her sister Helen Clark.

They said the new store will include clothing, purses, jewellery and giftware.

Store hours are Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm.

SWO Gleaners, a local charitable organization also run by volunteers, will use surplus produce to provide four million servings of soup mix and apple snacks locally (across Windsor and Essex County) and ship internationally to Ukraine, Africa and Central America in 2024.