File - Crowded Closet
Transcription
File - Crowded Closet
2016 Winter Newsletter R 1 2 1 3 G I L B E R T I O W A C I T Y C T , Holiday Dinner Celebrates Volunteers Phone: 319-337-5924 Web site: crowdedcloset.org Emails: Volunteers: crowdedcloset.volunteer@gmail.com Donations: crowdedcloset.donation@gmail.com Retail/Gift: crowdedcloset.ic@gmail.com Administration: crowdedcloset.gm@gmail.com Check us out on : thecrowedclosetthriftstore Volunteer opportunities: Assist with amazon book sales Cashiering Receptionist to answer phones Receiving & sorting donations Ten Thousand Villages Christmas pop up store did well this season. The local board continues to work hard to reach it’s goal of opening a permanent store in downtown Iowa City fall of 2016. Please keep the local board in your prayers. Crowded Closet gift shop will continue to carry fair trade products from other companies as well as a few items from Ten Thousand Villages. On December 2nd approximately 140 volunteers and guests gathered at Kalona Mennonite Church for a banquet in honor of their service. Potato soup, chili, salad, bread and homemade cookies were served by MYFers from East Union and Kalona Mennonite. The soups are products sold by the Crowded Closet gift shop to support the ministries of Soup of Success (Elkhart, IN) and Women’s Bean Project (Denver, CO). These programs help to empower women and develop their independence. Volunteers were challenged to a three part trivia game including questions regarding the Bible, Christmas, and Crowded Closet staff. The event was planned by Bailey Shrock, with helpful assistance from her mother, sister and the local MYFers. There were numerous responses of gratitude for being able to all gather under one roof. The Crowded Closet board and staff deeply appreciate the service of our volunteers to further relief work , provide locally, as well as around the world through MCC. 1 “Every little piece counts” Ken Sensenig, Assistant Executive Director of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) East Coast, visited Crowded Closet on November 3 to share about the work of MCC, the history of MCC thrift shops like Crowded Closet, and the impact of each volunteer’s service. The combined revenue from MCC thrift stores in the last year provided over 16 million dollars to support the work of MCC throughout the world. This solid stream of revenue grows thanks to the strong commitment of volunteers. Thirty volunteers gathered for Ken’s presentation. Ken reminds us that our service at Crowded Closet makes an impact that benefits the global community and touches the world. Margaret Miller welcomes customers on a Saturday in an Old Mother Hubbard costume. Students in an afterschool program of Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County arrive each week to pick up and deliver recycling. We are grateful for community programs who support the work of Crowded Closet. 2 Staffing at Crowded Closet 2015 was marked by numerous employee transitions. With the departure of some staff and the arrival of new staff we reorganized our positions to utilize the talents available to us. Staff at Crowded Closet meet weekly to discuss how to best serve Crowded Closet, its volunteers, its donors and its customers. Our desire is to work well as a team, communicate well, and determine how to make the most profit to send more to Mennonite Central Committee. The following are staff titles and descriptions of their roles: crowdedcloset.donation@gmail.com crowdedcloset.ic@gmail.com Bailey Schrock star ted as Work room Supervisor in February of 2015. As roles shifted in the fall she realized she really enjoyed the processing of items. It was a natural fit for her to take on all aspects of donations. As Processing Manager Bailey oversees all donations, including furniture. Betsy Slabaugh star ted at Crowded Closet 8 years ago as Assistant Manager. In 2012, she started as General Manager. Betsy realized her passion was with retail rather than administrative thus inspiring the move to the role of Retail Manager. As r etail manager , Betsy is in char ge of the Gift Shop and design on the retail floor. As Betsy’s role changed there was an opening for a General Manager. crowdedcloset.volunteer@gmail.com crowdedcloset.gm@gmail.com Christine Maust Beachy star ted with Crowded Closet in September. As she began her job, her gift with people was obvious to us. Because Bailey’s position changed it left room for Christine to shift into the role of Volunteer Coordinator. Her ability to communicate and inspire volunteers made the position a wonderful fit. Carey Miller was hired in September 2015 as General Manager. Carey has many years of experience which includes working with non-profits. He has been helpful in guiding all of us to define our positions and recognize what we do best. Carey’s talents lie in finance and staff development. Are you a mentor for a youth in your church? Crowded Closet is a great place to spend with your mentee. Come spend a couple of hours on a Saturday tagging clothing, bagging with the cashiers or testing electrical items… Contact Christine to plan a time to volunteer. An awesome donation: This fall a donor remembered Crowded Closet in his will by donating his car to the store. The car was a 1997 Toyota Corolla and had only 30,000 miles on it. After transferring the title we decided we could get the most for it if we put it on Silent Auction. The auction began in October and ended on Dec 7, 2015. The final bid was $3,700. We were very happy with the end result and it was fun to watch as the car continued to go up and up. 3 Crowded Closet pr oudly suppor ts Mennonite Centr al Committee. MCC is a global, nonprofit organization that strives to share God’s love and compassion for all through 1213 Gilbert Court Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: 319-337-5924 Email: crowdedcloset.gm@gmail.com relief, development and peace. MCC is an Anabaptist organization striving to make peace a part of everything they do. When responding to disasters MCC works with local groups to distribute resources in ways that minimize conflict. In development work they plan with community and church Crowded Closet Board of Directors: Roger Farmer, Board Chair Donna Yoder, Vice Chair Vi Graber, Secretary Fred Gingerich, Treasurer Jane Schlabaugh Bob Cumings Sherry Schrock groups to make sure the projects meet their needs. MCC advocates for policies that will lead to a more peaceful world. e m Volunteering at Crowded Closet: Since starting at Crowded Closet in September, one favorite aspect of my work has been meeting the Crowded Closet volunteers. They are loyal and dedicated, many counting their service to Crowded Closet in decades. They are kind and compassionate, openly welcoming new volunteers into the Crowded Closet community and daily supporting one another. They are hard working, effectively transforming the presort donation pile into the clean, well organized merchandise on the retail floor. In my role as Volunteer Coordinator, I look forward to supporting our volunteer team and continuing the strong tradition at Crowded Closet of committed, joyful service. Thank you for allowing me to serve with you. Ready to volunteer? Contact Christine our volunteer coordinator at 319-337-5924 or email her at crowdedcloset.volunteer@gmail.com. 4