What goes around, comes around.
That was particularly true for June Revell-Quevillon, who has worked at the Penticton Regional Hospital gift shop for the last quarter-century.
Over the years the volunteer-run store has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the hospital foundation for purchase of various items, including medical equipment.
“I was in the hospital for a medical procedure one time and while I was waiting for it to happen, the nurse beside was using this machine and I said: ‘What is that?’ She told me and I said: ‘We bought that, I’m so glad we bought that, so that’s what it does,’” recalled Revell-Quevillon with a laugh. “I think that’s the same for a lot of our volunteers, maybe they’ve been through something and felt like they have to give back to the hospital because they received such good care.”
This week, she and some of the other 40 volunteers that work in the shop have been busy moving the remaining items to their new digs on the main floor of the David E. Kampe tower, to be called Treasurers & Trinkets.
Nearly three times the size of the old 550-square foot-shop, Revell-Quevillon can’t wait to open the doors to the shop on Monday.
“It’s just awesome, bright and cheery, fresh and clean. We’re just really enthusiastic about it,” she said.
The store sells everything from fashions to magazines, toys to home-made knitting goods.
“We still have some very dedicated knitters and we supply the wool to knit. We have a little place for them in the new shop so it’s kind of part of the history of the whole thing,” said Revell-Quevillon, who first started at the shop when she was a member of the hospital ladies auxiliary.
She currently has a staff of 40 volunteers who work four shifts daily from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Her clients?
“The staff and the volunteers are our favourites because they’re a captive audience, but since we extended the inventory in the smaller shop we have destination shoppers now which is really nice,” she said. “I enjoy the interaction with the volunteers. A lot of them have become good friends and working together for the same goal.”
Sweets are also a big seller.
“And of course, you’ve got to have candy for the staff,” said Revell-Quevillon. “In fact, as I was coming up here to the new shop, some of the staff members said: ‘Where are we going to get our candy down here in the old place?’ Because around two or three everybody has to have that little spear of chocolate.”
