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SARA for Women Society receives sizeable donation from four local Shoppers Drug Mart owners

Store owners hand over $22,999 cheque on June 3 as part of Growing Women’s Health campaign
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June 3, Shoppers Drug Mart owners handing over a check for $22,999 to SARA for Women Staff as part of their Growing Women’s Health campaign, meant to help vulnerable women and children in local communities. / Submitted photo.

Abbotsford and Mission’s non-profit shelter, SARA for Women, received a large donation from Shoppers Drug Mart as part of the store’s 19-year-running Growing Women’s Health campaign.

Every year, associate-owners and their staff choose a local women’s organization to donate to.

On June 3, a cheque for $22,999 was handed over to SARA for Women staff by Mission’s store owners, adding to a over $40 million total raised by Shopper’s Drug Mart since 2001.

In late 2019, four store owners – Mission’s Sumit Manchanda, and Kiran Basran, Kuljeet Thiara and Shenaz Singh of Abbotsford – chose SARA for Women as this year’s benefactor.

“SARA for Women wants to thank the owners, staff and customers of the four Shoppers Drug Mart stores for their generous support,” reads a news release from the non-profit. “The group raised funds through a very successful pub night at Abbotsford Town Hall as well as collecting generous donations from their customers and staff in their stores.”

SARA for Women also operates the Fronya Thrift Boutique Shop to fund their social intiatives. The store, located on 33173 First Avenue in Mission, donates all the profits into local programs that support women and children.

“It is a delightful thrift store with a boutique attitude offering high quality, gently-used women and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories. Everything in the store is fully checked and safely handled with COVID-19 guidelines, and are accepting donations,” reads the news release. “Fronya is also a proud host offering an integrated training program to help women re-enter the work force, or to gain work experience.”

Fronya (meaning free spirited independent woman) is a name taken from the women’s collective who founded SARA for Women in 1975.

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