A charitable organization on Vancouver Island is assessing its next move after an overnight fire severely damaged its thrift shop in downtown Courtenay Saturday night.

Thick smoke could be seen billowing out of the front door of the Too Good to be Threw thrift shop as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

The store supports the Comox Valley Transition Society, a charity that supports women and children in the region who are fleeing domestic abuse.

“The donations that come into the store and are sold through the store support women who are leaving violent relationships, women who are trying to recover from addictions,” said Anne Davis, the society’s program coordinator. “The funding that we receive through the store all goes directly into our services, so this is a huge loss for us.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but crews believe it started at the back of the building.

The society says it is too soon to know what it will do next because the fire did extensive damage.