SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Residents may have noticed one of four shiny red clothing collection boxes in Yellowknife that have popped up over the past few months.

This clothing donation box outside the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool has been in place since February and is operated by the Canadian Diabetes Association with help from the Yellowknife United Church. Boxes are also set up at the Independent Grocer on Old Airport Road, the Fieldhouse and the Co-op. - John McFadden/NNSL photo

They've been in place since February at the Fieldhouse, the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool and the Independent Grocer on Old Airport Road. The fourth was added later at Co-op.

The collection boxes are for people to donate good used clothing to the Canadian Diabetes Association. It in turn sells the clothing to Value Village, a second-hand chain store popular in the south.

That is according to Maureen Stewart, the Edmonton-based operations manager for the Canadian Diabetes Association's clothesline program.

"That money is then funneled into all our diabetes D-camps for kids. We have a partnership with the Yellowknife United Church which manages those bins for us," Stewart said. "They collect the donations. It is a fundraising project for them as well - they share in the profits."

Stewart said the new program in the city has been going smoothly so far but could not say exactly how much clothing has been collected.

The program is more than just a fundraiser for the diabetes association, she said.

"It's also keeping the clothing out of the landfills which is benefiting the community as well," she said.

"The donations help researchers look for and hopefully find a cure for type 1 diabetes. (Those who donate) are supporting a lab doing research on diabetes but they are also supporting a camp for kids with type 1 diabetes," said Stewart, adding type 1 is insulin-dependent.

Stewart said there are no camps currently in the NWT - the closest camps are in Alberta, but children with type 1 diabetes in the territory would be eligible to attend one of the camps.

Stewart said "very generous truck drivers" ensure the clothes are brought to Edmonton at a reasonable cost to the association. Stewart said she wants residents of Yellowknife to know their donations will be appropriately used.

"I just want to thank the people of Yellowknife for supporting us. We want them to know that we will make sure that their donations and the revenue generated from them will be used to help people fighting diabetes."

Grant White, director of community services for the city, said the diabetes association approached the city last winter to see if it would allow two boxes on city property - at the Fieldhouse and the pool.

"It's not new to us. We do the Coats for Kids with the YWCA every year in the fall. They put boxes inside our facilities," White said. "We make sure that they are not going to add any unwanted litter or trash to the area. They maintain them. They come around and pick the clothing up."

Terrilyn Hayden, stewardship committee member for the Yellowknife United Church, said the church gets paid by the diabetes association for collecting the clothing. Money then goes to support their programs, she said.

"The funds we receive support the things we do like refugee sponsorship and helping the Salvation Army," Hayden said.

"The money that we get paid stays in the community."

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