HappyHand promised NOK 30,000 to the Crisis Centre in Moss. They got NOK 50,000.
Each month, the HappyHand second-hand store in Moss, Norway distributes its profits from sales to charitable purposes at home and abroad. The shop is run by volunteers from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Moss.
For the month of June, the profits went to the local Crisis Centre. Representatives from the centre came to receive the NOK 30,000 [EUR 2,800] which they had been promised a few weeks ago. However, just before making the presentation, store managers Carsten Jørgensen and Pia Nielsen recognised that sales had gone much better than expected so cheerfully increased the donation to a full 50,000 [EUR 4,600]. HappyHand's accountant Øivind Berger handed over the symbolic gift card to CEO Arna Beate Hansen and Irene Lillejord.
Hansen and Lillejord were especially grateful for the gift as they confessed that the promised NOK 30,000 had already been spent. “We have sent some families on a short holiday to Hunderfossen family parks,” they said. “There are mothers with children who have major financial challenges ahead, without the opportunity to travel a bit away to have a little fun as a family.”
The mayor of Moss and Rygge, Hanne Tollerud, praised the work the shop was doing. “I was here at the distribution of the first monthly surplus that went to a shelter for homeless in Moss and was pleasantly surprised already at that time by what is happening here. And when I come here today, I see that this has become an oasis, with music and people, and it's almost like a shopping centre. This is an important arena for many people.”
The mayor praised the efforts, idealism and volunteerism of everyone who runs HappyHand, and what this means for the recipients of the profits. “You give back to both municipal enterprises and to teams and associations that make a difference in people's lives. Could it be any better? Applause!” she said.
The applause did not fail!
"The next donation is slated for August and will be divided between the Adventist Church's language school for immigrants and others who would like to learn Norwegian better, and for ADRA's annual aid campaign," says Pia Nielsen from HappyHand.
HappyHand stores mix the sale of quality second-hand clothes and products with a friendly atmosphere that allows for the development of relationships with customers, who will often come just to spend time at the store, sharing a hot drink and a biscuit. The concept originated in Denmark and has since spread to other Scandinavian countries.
This article was originally published on the Trans-European Division’s news site