Introducing iBuyYa Abaya™
Calgary’s Only Second Hand Thrift Store for Modest & Islamic Attire
A Place to Donate and Buy our Gently Used Modest & Islamic Clothing and Accessories.
Our Mission
A store with affordable second hand modest & islamic attire that is readily accessible for our converts, youth and community.
Why iBuyYa Abaya™?
Support System A community thrift store provides an established location to donate, buy and sell gently used islamic and modest attire. Donations will generate free items for converts and women in need in our community, while also generating moderately priced items for the store to sell at prices that our community can afford. This will allow the storefront to remain open, sustainable & of service to all.
Accessibility Youth, converts and women in need want to embrace modesty and style, yet cannot afford quality clothing or are too shy to ask.
Sustainability Donating & reusing garments reduces waste, protects the environment and is an essential part of our iman.
Empowerment Affordable and accessible modest wear strengthens confidence and faith in our youth and within ourselves.
Mental Health With a put together wardrobe at a good price, it is a boost to our iman & encourages a positive outlook to life.
Future The thrift store becomes a space to Re-sell our newer & more expensive pieces directly from our closets to the store for cash or store credit. This generates much-needed income during hardships for our youth, families and women in need within our communities. This also generates popularity & nicer items for the store. Non-muslim second hand stores below are already doing this in Calgary today to generate cash flow. Examples Once Upon a Child®, Platos® and Vespucci®. Why not a similar store for our community?
In the future we can also feature new, well priced, shapeless and plain islamic matching sets insha'Allah. From stores like 'Ina Collection', these sets are beautiful while also promoting the simplistic side of true islamic modesty to our youth.
How It Works
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Donation Drives and Community outreach will take place this summer. Donation Boxes and Adverts will be placed across all of our Communities Centres, Mosques, Masjid's, Musallas, and Islamic Schools in the Fall insha'Allah.
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Community members Donate Gently-Used and new modest attire and accessories.
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Distribution through iBuyYa Abaya’s™ ensures accessibility and sustainability.
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Future Vision A designated store front for iBuyYa Abaya™ Calgary's Only Second-Hand Thrift Store for Modest and Islamic Attire. Where our community can go to donate, buy and re-sell their Gently Used Islamic & Modest Clothing & Accessories. Building public accessibility, sustainability & financial resilience for our entire community.
Our Ask From You
We are looking to build a collection of second hand modest wear and Islamic wear while we find the perfect centralized location—one that is easily accessible, has ample parking, and is near transit, to best serve our community. We are giving ourselves until Ramadan to secure our perfect location, and in the meantime we are collecting donations at our storage facility.
We are also in the midst of establishing a list of around 50 sponsors who would like to participate by placing one donation box and/or one advert at their establishments. This would include a simple poster placement with flyers and/or a donation cardboard box ranging from 24”–44” with attractive wrapping alongside small signage with business information. Coupons will be given to the managerial parties of donation box locations to distribute upon receiving donations.
In exchange, and upon permission, we will feature the establishments and individuals sponsoring us on our Sponsors Marquee in the Sponsors Section of our website. The Sponsors Section of our website will also display examples of the donation boxes and advertisements. May Allah reward us all in every aspect of this endeavor, Ameen.
WE HUMBLY REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT
The establishment & success of iBuyYa Abaya™ requires the generous sponsoring, expertise and support from our community members to avoid haram usury. We hope to receive enough support and sponsoring to be able to open our first store location on or just before Eid Ul-Fitr 2027 or on or before Eid Al-Adha 2027, if plans are delayed. Insha’Allah it will be earlier if support sky rockets.
The cooperation throughout our community to generate this store will help in establishing ties and bonds across all centers in our vicinity. Posting all our sponsors locations will help us to come together and meet new brothers and sisters within our communities. Please take a moment of your time to ask your daughters, sisters, young ladies and women around you one question: “If there was a thrift store for second hand islamic & modest attire, would they go?”
Donation Drives communities and their coinciding times are posted in the summer donation drive section. Coupons will be optional and can be used for 30% Off on our Grand Opening day Insha’Allah. Extra 10-15% Off for booking online.
Sponsoring
Donation Sponsoring Info to know if you and/or a business you know is able to place one of the small, medium or large donation boxes and /or adverts in their locations.
Donation Box or Postings. First the donation box and advert acknowledgement is signed by the manager of your location. Following a donation box is placed with iBuyYa Abaya’s™ information and flyers that have coupons on them for those who do not wish to donate. Then coupons of higher value are given to managerial personnel of your location to be marked by the managerial personnel when community members contribute one bag or more of donations. The coupons will be optional and can be used for 30% Off on our Grand Opening day Insha’Allah. Following upon your permission we will advertise your location on our website sponsor marquee as one of our donation box locations and sponsors.
Contact Information
403 - 970 - 6366 (Cellular)
403 - 455 - 1222 (Landline)
WhatsApp, Text or Call
Financial sponsors
Funds raised will be used to cover essential operating costs for the first 6–12 months while the business becomes sustainable.
All funds go to establishing and maintaining iBuyYa Abaya™'s physical store front. Please donate generously for the sake of Allah and our sisters and youth whom are in need of affordable clothing! Operation costs are high!
Financial donations are preferred to be made through our website in the financial donation section or can be made at the bottom of the clothing/equipment donation pick up.
iBuyYa Abaya™ is also on GoFundMe to donate securely
Title: Support Calgary’s Only Second Hand Modest Wear Store iBuyYa Abaya™ https://gofund.me/5f6c9e0b4
Volunteers are greatly appreciated and welcomed at this time. We have posted a volunteer sign up section of our website.
Any advice from those with knowledge and expertise on this subject matter is also greatly appreciated, BarakAllah Feekum.
About The Founder
Chanelle (Souraya) is a 31 year old Muslim Revert who converted to Islam from Christianity just before her 18th birthday. After her many trials and tribulations as a Muslim revert, she finally solidified her hijab & modesty as a muslimah at the age of 27 years old. There were many instances of weakness in her hijab journey and instances that solidified her vulnerabilities. Her main reasons for delay were due to being born into an all Christian household, lack of knowledge, bullying, finances, accessibility and feelings of inadequacy. Chanelle is proud to say today that she has been wearing modest abaya, hijab, as well as a half veil niqab for almost 4 years now. She has heard countless stories from non-muslims, reverts and even born muslims struggling to afford and maintain quality modest attire. She herself was only able to afford converting her wardrobe due to receiving unexpected grants. Chanelle has a passion and drive to help those in search of becoming more modest at a fair price. She wants to help women and converts who may not be able to afford or access modest attire that are too shy to ask for help. She wants to be a leader in making quality second hand modest attire accessible to all our community, especially our converts and youth.
A Message from Chanelle
“Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahem. Hello & Salam Alaikum wa Ramatulah wa Barakatuh. This isn’t just my journey or story, this is a reality that every single person in our ummah has to face. How will I make my wardrobe more modest? I am a single mother, a widow, and I have had little to no moral support on my journey of wanting to become a better & more modest muslimah. In turn this has inspired and strengthened me to want to help born & non-born muslims alike to dress modestly. Dressing modestly is about taking back our power as an ummah. It is about safety, protection and obedience. Dressing modestly has empowered me a nd strengthened my iman immensely. Together, we can strengthen community ties, empower our youth and converts, and reduce financial burdens.
We all have used and even new clothes in our closets that we no longer like, want to wear, and that have nowhere to go.
This will be a store where muslim women can go to donate for the sake of Allah and feel good about where their donations are going. This will be a place where non muslims and converts interested in modesty & islam can go to begin their journey without judgement. This will be a place where our community in the future can go to re-sell their expensive gently used modest and islamic attire to the store for a fair price. Generating beautiful fair trade options for our community, while also in turn generating a supplementary income for themselves. This will be a place where we can distribute free items to those in severe need, families that are struggling and reverts that need help on the beginning of their journey. We can’t all afford to buy brand new clothes for every First Day, Ramadan, Eid, or General Event that we want to attend looking our best, especially those of us in big families.
Imagine the rewards we can generate for ourselves and others to establish such locations. A place where islamic resources can be posted and utilized for the community. A place where muslim owned businesses can advertise their services & sponsor our location. Furthermore, this initiative is also great for our iman and the environment. By placing donation boxes and adverts in our businesses, mosques and community centres; we will collect second and first hand abayas, hijabs, khimars and similar attire, providing a strong and affordable clothing network for our Muslim Community. May Allah bless this effort with Barakah, Guide us, and Help us establish this store. For the sake of Allah, Our community and most especially for our future generations. Ameen.”
Introducing iBuyYa Abaya™
Calgary’s Only Second Hand Modest & Islamic Thrift Store
A Place to Donate and Buy our Gently Used Modest & Islamic Clothing and Accessories.
Think about it. We have second hand stores to sell, buy and donate our used “modern american” baby & kids clothes, stores like once upon a child®. We have consignment stores to sell and buy our used “modern american” teen & adult clothes, stores like Vespucci® and Plato’s Closet®. We also donate to places like Value Village® or Good Will®, hoping that someone who appreciates modest wear will somehow find them and benefit.
But where is there a second hand clothing store to Donate, Buy and Sell our Gently Used Modest & Islamic clothing? There are thousands if not millions of Muslims and Non-muslims who choose to wear modest clothing every day. We all have clothes in our closets that we simply no longer like, wear or use. Here’s to a place where Muslim Women seeking modest & islamic garments can go to find something affordable. A place where we can go and feel good to donate, re-use, buy, sell and re-sell our islamic and modest garments.
Hence iBuyYa Abaya™ is born.
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