Photo by Michal Marcol http://bit.ly/freedigitalphotosMarcol
This Christmas, many of us will have ventured out into stores to purchase gifts for our families and friends, and we may have also made a charitable contribution to one of our many worthy local causes or purchased gifts for a family in need through a program like the one at Bridges of Hope. Yes, Christmas is a time for giving, sharing and receiving.
You are probably well aware that malls, department stores, boutiques and other local businesses are very busy this time of year, but one that may not immediately come to mind is the thrift stores. Common Goods is one such place bustling with activity during the Holiday season, and it’s a great spot to shop for your holiday gifts and decorations.
The employees are helpful and very knowledgeable about what is in the store, and if you are looking for something they don’t have, they can probably refer you to another place in town that carries it. They also upcycle some of the donated merchandise–sometimes even remaking an item into something else entirely! Some of the staff have even been around since the store opened in 2009.
One of them is Jenny. To Jenny, Common Goods is not just a place to shop, a place to donate, or a place to volunteer (although those are all great things themselves!); it’s that whatever is done at Common Goods is helping Bridges of Hope and the community. In 2009, Jenny started out working for Common Goods through our local Workforce Center, and she was soon hired on as a regular staff. Jenny loves knowing that her work benefits families in the community who are in need. She also loves meeting the variety of people who come in both to shop and to volunteer–and for the opportunity to pass on the message of helping others to her own family; one of her sons comes in to volunteer every week during the summer months. The staff at Common Goods have the blessing and opportunity to work at a place that is mission-driven and impacting the community for good.
Christmas for Jenny means a time of family togetherness, a time for giving and sharing, and or course a time to remember the True meaning of the Holiday. She sees Bridges of Hope bringing light to dark situations where parents would otherwise have to choose between paying bills or buying Christmas gifts for their children.
But it doesn’t end at Christmas–because receiving donations from the community is like having Christmas every day! Jenny loves the fact that her work at Common Goods goes to provide help for families all year, since Bridges of Hope utilizes the profits of Common Goods to support their work with families. For Jenny, work is less about the “job” and more about the community she is serving in and the meaningful relationships she has developed with coworkers and volunteers. Helping make a difference is what motivates her every day.
From the staff at both Common Goods and Bridges of Hope Human Services, thank you for your gifts of time, talents and treasures that make Common Goods such a success–you have helped make our Christmas brighter this year!
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Want to shop, donate or volunteer at Common Goods? Learn more.
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