Mondays at St. Louise Gift & Thrift are bustling with activity. Since we're closed to the public, it gives staff and volunteers the opportunity to clean, reorganize, and stock new merchandise. At least a dozen carts full of donations are brought from our Donation Center on N 14th, ready to be cleaned, priced, and stocked.
I really enjoy spending time at the thrift store because it's also a place of community and fellowship. We welcome dozens of volunteers throughout the week. Some are dedicated to specific inventory, such as shoes, linens, or dishes, while others jump in wherever needed. I'm blessed to have my parents, uncle, aunt, brother, and friends as weekly volunteers. It's been fun to create memories with family and friends as we pore over the unique donations received each week!
When I was working on Monday receiving donations, I came across a puzzle with a note in a woman's handwriting: "A family favorite–all pieces included!" It meant a great deal to me that day to receive something so loved — clearly the source of cherished family memories — and I was thrilled she'd noted all the pieces were included!
You've heard our team tell you before that our work in receiving donations, whether it's clothing, games, household items, or furniture— we're all about extending the lifecycle of your donations. If the quality is not sufficient, then being good stewards of the earth and properly recycling it is also a priority for us. We're proud to have brought our landfill percentage down from over 25% to just 5%.
DONATION GUIDE
How to donate worn-out items: If you're certain that items have lived their full life, you can clearly mark it on your donation box or let our team know when you bring it.
Good to know: If you're donating vintage, collector, or name-brand items, you can also let our team know so that we can redirect those items to our ecommerce process.
FACT: The average amount of monthly donations received results in 30% directed to the store, 65% recycled, and 5% sent to the landfill. Items that are recycled include worn-out shoes, pilled or stained clothing, scratched pots and pans, unrepairable electronics and appliances, etc.
