National Nonprofit and Thrift Store Day

More than a Thrift Store

National Nonprofit and Thrift Store Day is celebrated on August 17th yearly. National Nonprofit Day dates back to the Tariff Act of 1894, which included exempting charitable organizations from federal taxes, which laid the foundation for nonprofits in the U.S. (https://charitableadvisors.com/national-nonprofit-day-honoring-impact-inspiring-action/)

Nonprofits and thrift stores go hand in hand because many thrift stores are also non-profits. Shopping and donating to thrift stores supports the community. When you shop at Interfaith, proceeds go to multiple programs offered by Interfaith. This helps us serve even more people, offering them hope and help in a dignified way.

When you donate items to Interfaith, your donation stays in our community. Your donation helps us provide people with the essentials needed to get back on their feet.

Valuable Volunteers

Without our volunteers, Interfaith would not be able to run its stores. Our volunteers generously donate their time week after week to sort, tag, and place items in the stores. Interfaith’s volunteers value our mission.

When asking our volunteers why they enjoy volunteering here, a commonality expressed is enjoying the positive working environment and their coworkers. They also expressed how much it helps our community and just how encouraging that is.

“I like that Interfaith helps people afford items they might not have otherwise. People can find better quality items at a lower price at Interfaith.”

- anonymous volunteer

When asked why our volunteers choose thrifting, it is about two things: one, finding a good bargain, and two, helping others. You can find items much cheaper than you would at Target or Amazon. It is fun to “treasure hunt” for a bargain. The money also goes towards helping others in our community. The money also helps people through various assistance and educational programs. Some of us may even know the people we are helping and get to see the impact it has made. 

Nonprofit organizations fill gaps, give people hope, and strengthen the community. Interfaith aims for long-term impact and success for those we assist. Our proceeds go to our various programs that impact our community greatly.

Shop Green

When you purchase secondhand, this keeps items out of landfills. EPA reports 17 million tons of textile waste occurs per year. (https://greenamerica.org/unraveling-fashion-industry/what-really-happens-unwanted-clothes) 

This is not only wasteful, but is economically and environmentally unsustainable. 

Instead of merely tossing clothing, consider donating your gently used clothing to a thrift store. Some name-brand stores send clothes to be recycled. An example of a brand that uses recycled materials/textiles is Patagonia. We should aim to shop sustainably by avoiding fast fashion brands and by shopping secondhand. For new items, we should look for recycled content. This will discourage clothing waste and create a demand for textile recycling. Instead of shopping fast-fashion online, stop by and shop at Interfaith today. Join us in celebrating National Nonprofit and Thrift Store Day by shopping today!