The Kelowna S.H.A.R.E Society has been helping those in the community in a variety of ways over the past 42 years, and on Saturday, the non-profit held a free barbecue at their Gaston Avenue location.

The story of the organization, which stands for Self Help Through Arts, Recreation and Education, began in the 1970s, when a wave of Vietnamese refugees arrived in the Okanagan, and needed some help.

“There was one community member who thought, 'we really need to gather together and get some stuff for these newcomers,'” said the S.H.A.R.E. Society's Heather Leslie.

“He put out the call and the community answered overwhelmingly. They had so much stuff that they actually ended up having an overflow and they put it in a building and opened the thrift shop and it's been going ever since.”

Over 80 per cent of the proceeds the society makes through the thrift shop, along with donations and grants, gets put back into a variety of programs for those in need in the community. Leslie says the remaining 20 per cent is used to just “keep the lights on” at the business.

In addition to supporting charitable programs in town, like Mamas for Mamas, The John Howard Society and the Kelowna Women's Shelter, S.H.A.R.E. runs their own in-house programs, providing retail training for teens with disabilities and others who may have challenges gaining employment.

“It's a 16-week course, and the kids, through the school district, sign up with us,” said Dan Poznikoff, vice-chair of S.H.A.R.E. “We go right through receiving merchandise, looking at it, evaluating it, setting up displays, pricing, working the till, and being part of the retail system.”

Poznikoff says the organization has always looked for opportunities to help people in the community.

“Last year we gave away, just with our costing and the way things are priced here, we gave away over $400,000 worth of products. Furniture, clothing, just for people who need it,” he said.

Those looking to donate their used items or find themselves a bargain can find S.H.A.R.E. at 581 Gaston Avenue.