If you have ever been in the backroom of one of our thrift stores, you were surely amazed at the sheer amount of “stuff” that is donated every single day. Sometimes it makes us wonder, “Where is all this stuff coming from?! Do the people in our community really have this much stuff to give away every day?”
Well, it seems we do!
Thrift stores are cool because they offer a great process for cutting back on waste. The good ones (like The Saving Way stores) make it easy for the community to donate their unwanted items either by dropping them off or by calling us to come get them. We then sell, salvage, or recycle everything that we can. Members of the community in search of a bargain can save a lot of money by shopping in thrift stores. Everyone wins!
A New Purpose
Giving household items a second chance is what we do every day at The Saving Way. When we were exploring our values as an organization, we immediately knew that “Second Chances” was at the top of the list. But it’s more than the donations that get a second chance at The Saving Way thrift stores.
Our ministry, His Way Recovery Center, supports those in desperate need of a new path and purpose. We love that our thrift stores reflect the mission of His Way in our everyday work – taking unwanted, sometimes broken, household items, brushing them off, and giving them a new purpose.
Though it is more complex than just “brushing them off,” helping individuals in addiction find recovery and a new chance at life is what we are all about.
Sometimes at the stores, this can mean hiring someone whose past felonies make it difficult for them to find a job or who hasn’t held a legitimate job in several years (or ever). It can mean rehiring people who have stolen from us in the past. And yeah, it can get messy. Truly getting in there and helping people usually is. But it’s who we are and what we’re about.
When you donate and shop with us, you are giving a second chance to household valuables and to much more valuable human lives!
Stop. Buy. Make Change.
Written by Brenda Newman, Director of Business Operations