Everything but The Kitchen Sink Emporium

Hendrik Hoekema, Executive Director of VEEES and the Emporium

Hendrik Hoekema, BOB Board Member and founder of Vancouver Eastside Educational Enrichment Society (VEEES), has started a new social enterprise on Hastings Street. Everything but the Kitchen Sink Emporium is selling some of the physical components that contributed to the intangible legacy left by the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Located a block away from SOLEfood urban farm, the Emporium does, in fact, sell almost everything one could ever want. The store offers gently used or excess Olympic equipment and paraphernalia, and ‘as is’ furniture donated to them by various companies in the Lower Mainland. Some stock is straight from the Olympic Village and the Lost & Found which operated during the Games. From the Emporium’s warehouse storage space, employees bring in new items daily, ranging from construction gear and office supplies, to clothing and accessories. Appropriately enough, they have umbrellas in abundance. If you are ever in need of an industrial-sized bottle of hand sanitizer, they have that too.

Many social enterprises function as the primary means of funding for a non-profit organization. The Emporium works in partnership with the Network of Inner City Community Services Society (NICCSS). NICCSS was formed in 1996 and provides many valuable programs and resources within the Grandview Woodlands, Strathcona, and the Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods. Their mandate is to build nurturing networks that optimize the development of children and youth, and strengthen families in the inner city. All of the proceeds from the Emporium’s sales go to support NICCSS.

The Emporium is at 875 East Hastings Street and is open from 11am – 6pm Monday to Saturday. Only cash is accepted so stop by an ATM in preparation for the great bargains that you will inevitably pick up.

For more information, call (604) 568-0775.

Below are a just a few of the items that were in the shop the day of our visit.  Happy deal hunting!

Article by:  Lauren McGuire-Wood

Photos by:  Lani Johnson