Who We Are and What We Do
The Compassionate Resource Warehouse (CRW) is a registered Canadian charity based in Victoria, British Columbia. Since our launch in 1999, our volunteers have collected, processed, packaged and shipped a variety of donated goods and equipment to responsible charities and other groups around the world. These goods are distributed free of charge to people in need and provide opportunity and hope.
The CRW is dedicated to helping others by sharing our cast-off abundance and wealth with those not similarly blessed. Our society has a superabundance of stuff that continues to have a useful lifespan. We gather these surplus items from our region and add them to new items crafted and donated by volunteers across Canada. All these goods, which may include quality medical equipment and supplies, clothing, linens, educational materials, tools, sewing machines, toys and bicycles, are carefully loaded into 40-foot containers and shipped. All items shipped are clean, appropriate and in good repair.
We ship our container loads in response to a request from qualified organizations abroad—we do not initiate shipments. This process means we don’t send unneeded or unsuitable supplies. It also prevents the goods from ending up in the black market. Since 2000, when we sent our first container to Honduras, we have transported more than 525 containers to schools, hospitals, orphanages, homes for the disabled, church groups and to specific regions struck by natural disasters. More than 70 countries have received CRW shipments. Recent recipients include organizations in Haiti, Laos, Ghana, Pakistan, Thailand and Libya.
The CRW is an all-volunteer organization and reflects the generosity and community spirit of Victorians and many others in Canada. Faithful, dedicated volunteers from many backgrounds and experience collect, sort, clean, repair and load all the items that are shipped overseas. Similarly, our board of directors and staff receive no pay for their work. This approach allows us to devote the funds we collect for repair, storage, transportation, shipping and fulfilling the requests from those most in need. Occasionally, when the need is great, we add purchased dehydrated foods to our shipments.
We are grateful for the supplies that arrive from individuals, church groups, consignment shops, libraries, hospitals, cruise ships, hotels and many businesses. It’s the ultimate in reusing and recycling.
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for more information.