Long before it became a thrift shop, the organization behind this Comox storefront was already at work inside the community’s hospitals. The Auxiliary Society for Comox Valley Healthcare traces its roots back to 1914, when it was founded as the St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary to provide medical equipment, specialized staff education, and everyday comforts for patients. More than a century later, that same mission continues under a broader name, now supporting North Island Hospital Comox Valley and its affiliated care facilities, and the Auxiliary Thrift Shop is one of the two retail arms, alongside the Valley Gift Shop at Comox Valley Hospital, that keeps the organization funded.
The Thrift Shop operates on the grounds of the former St. Joseph’s Hospital site in Comox, a location whose own history mirrors the Auxiliary’s, since the original hospital building has since closed while the volunteer organization that grew up around it has carried on. Shoppers can reach the shop directly at 250-339-8655 for current hours and questions about donations or inventory, since the organization periodically updates its contact details as it has done in the past. Anyone planning a visit is encouraged to call ahead, both to confirm hours and, for those wanting to donate, to check what categories of goods are currently being accepted.
What distinguishes this thrift shop from a typical secondhand store is where the money goes. Every sale supports the Auxiliary’s long list of hospital-focused projects, funding needs that range from medical equipment purchases to specialized education for hospital staff to the smaller day-to-day patient comforts that hospital budgets do not always cover, things like music therapy programs, craft supplies for patients, and seasonal gifts during holidays. The organization sums up its purpose with the motto Helping Hands, Healing Hearts, a phrase that captures how directly volunteer retail work here translates into patient care rather than administrative overhead.
Because the Auxiliary is entirely volunteer-driven and community-supported, the Thrift Shop functions as both a bargain-hunting destination and a direct line of local philanthropy. Donated household goods, clothing, and other secondhand items get a second life with a new owner in the Comox Valley, while the proceeds flow straight back into the hospital system that serves the same donors and shoppers. That closed loop, community donates, community shops, community’s own hospital benefits, is part of what has kept an all-volunteer auxiliary organization active and relevant for well over a century, even as the specific hospital building it started in has changed.
For residents of Comox and the surrounding Comox Valley looking for an affordable place to shop secondhand while directly supporting local healthcare, the Auxiliary Thrift Shop offers exactly that combination. Those interested in current hours, donation guidelines, or how to get involved as a volunteer can contact the Auxiliary’s business office by mail at PO Box 1312 STN A, Comox, BC, or reach out to the organization’s leadership directly. In one sentence: the Auxiliary Thrift Shop in Comox is a century-plus-old, volunteer-run secondhand store whose entire purpose is funding equipment, staff education, and patient comforts at North Island Hospital Comox Valley.
