Volunteering - Last Day For Now

Today was my last day of volunteering at the thrift store. Staff and volunteers signed a lovely card and gave me a gift of corn bags of assorted sizes. We also had cookies to celebrate (Okay, they told me they were NOT celebrating my leaving, the cookies were a thank you for volunteering [not for leaving]).

I love the lamb theme of the gifted corn bags

I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to meet so many kind people. I love the volunteers as well as the staff and will miss the six hours a week I was spending with them. I also know now more about sorting clothing than I ever thought possible.

If you are thinking about giving away clothing to a thrift store, consider one that supports a program in your community. Please only donate clothing that is free of stains, holes (unless it is the style), animal hair, clean, and wearable. Think of it as a gift to someone else, would you give a tacky gift?

If an item is missing buttons, threadbare, has tons of animal hair on it, or smells it will get thrown away.

Used blankets and towels are great to donate to your local animal shelter.

Things I learned sorting donations:

People are generous. We received quality items that other people appreciate the opportunity to own at a price they can afford.

Some people are unclear on what they should donate and what they should throw out. There are times we must toss an entire bag of donated materials because they smell like cigarette smoke. There is no way we can launder every piece of clothing donated. It would cost a fortune. If the place you are donating to has a website, check to see if the have instructions on what they can and cannot accept.

Volunteers come from all walks of life. Many of our volunteers are affiliated with local churches and that is how they heard about the opportunity to volunteer. In addition, local companies will send their injured workers with light duty requirements to sort. They have good attitudes and have been fun to work with and despite physical limitations they give their all. Community service participants (required by the legal system) are the least engaged when they work. They are forced volunteers, and their attitude reflects it. Still, it is better to have them doing work that helps the community than sitting in a jail cell for minor crimes.

It is good exercise. My arms have really toned up from sorting and hanging for three hours twice a week. Inspecting a piece of clothing means holding the piece up to look for frayed edges, stains, holes, and pilling. Then there is checking for button and zipping zippers.

Everyone told me I would poke myself with the tagging gun, multiple times. I managed to only do it once!!

If I could wave a magic wand and make one thing happen in the world, besides world peace – that’s a given, it would be that everyone could find a way to volunteer at least a few hours each month in their community.