A Snapshot of Retirement Volunteering at a Thrift Store

Hello my friends,

Did you miss me? I discover that it’s been two years since my last post. I did not expect that – how true that time flies. (In the future I may write a bit about why the hiatus.) In any case, it's an interesting coincidence that the amount of time since my last posting is almost exactly the same as the amount of time I’ve been volunteering at a local thrift store.

I don’t think that’s cause and effect. My shift is only four hours a week. And I have holiday Mondays off – not planned but it works out.

Many of us, when we retire or have some time to spare, start looking for ways we can make a meaningful contribution to society, often by helping out with good works in the community. Some sit on boards, organize events, run marathons, coach a team, clean up the environment, serve at a church, hospital auxiliary or animal rescue. I know people who help at soup kitchens, food banks, and homeless shelters.

So I thought I’d ease back into posting by offering you a peek at my volunteer gig. If that inspires you to give it a try, so much the better. I might never have found this enjoyable way to be a blessing if a family member hadn’t given me their insider information.

The thrift shop concept resonates with my personal philosophy. I hate to waste anything. I consider recycling an essential service. I love to see people pay less than retail for products they need. Then there’s the good that's done with the money collected. The funds we raise provide supplies during disasters, build wells for villages, send aid to war-torn parts of the world, as well as supporting many other relief, development and peace projects.

My few hours a week, and the items I rescue seem like a drop in the bucket, but vast quantities of donations processed by hundreds of volunteers result in a sizable amount of money going to sooth the desperate need of others throughout our world.

There Are More Benefits

That is probably motivation enough for anyone with a kind heart and a few hours to spare. But there are also some perks. Although every thrift store has its own system, you’ll probably find rules similar to these:

• minimum shift is four hours a week. Some people do many more hours than that.
• volunteers in good standing get a 25% discount on full-price goods. There is also the weekly colour tag system that reduces prices to 50% or 75% off.
• you are permitted to “take it home on spec.” Sign out what you might want to buy and take it home to see if it's right for you. Wait for the sober second thought to hit. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.
• you can borrow a book or a DVD. Just bring it back in good condition.

So You've Decided to Try It

Your first step would be to pick a location. Choose one that you could return to week after week, because you will. I once walked into a cat rescue and thrift store. Sorry, but the smell of kitty litter was too much. I left.

Next, you'll need to fill out a registration form and decide if you want to be front of house—sales floor and cashier, or back of house—sorting and pricing. Thirdly, if the operation is big enough, you'll need to pick a department. I was assigned to toys when I first started, but after my training I was drafted into the Christmas department. Couldn't be better.

The last benefit I want to tell you about is my new relationship with my thrift store. First of all, it actually helps me declutter. I notice things around my house to donate. And I do. Secondly, if I need anything at all, I put it on my list and keep an eye out at the store. This watch-and-wait method has saved me a lot of money. And everything I buy comes home on spec first, so there is no money wasted on impulse purchases. In the past two years I have found some amazing treasures. That's a topic for another post, so for now I'll sign off.

It's good to be back. We'll chat again soon!

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