Think Inside the Box

Clothing donation bins have made a revival in our area over the last few months. These bins come in a wide variety of colors specifically designed to make it easy and appealing for consumers to donate unwanted clothing and household items. The majority of these bins have been placed by out-of-state and overseas for-profit companies. The fact is our community is receiving no benefit for these donations. 

For-profit clothing recyclers like USAgain or H&M Recycling with blue bins and recycling symbols and “Clothing and Shoe Drop” in large white letters, they are not positively affecting the community. There are other For-profit recyclers who are collecting these donations locally and selling them overseas or on the salvage market.  There are some for-profit thrift stores who use a charity’s name to collect donations in exchange for a flat fee or a percentage of the profits. The problem is the consumer is not aware of this and the percentage that charity actually makes isn't what they deserve. In other cases, businesses that sponsor for-profit boxes are paid rent by that for-profit business.  In all actuality the rent is far less than the real value of the goods collected.  One drop box can hold hundreds of pounds of goods providing income per donation box for the for-profit business. To a non-profit organization, like Community Aid those same donations can be worth double, but the best part the donations benefit the community directly. Remember your charitable donations are tax deductible. Chances are if the organization doesn't offer a tax receipt, they are a for-profit entity.

Since 2009, Community Aid has given close to $2 million dollars back to the community. Our mission is to provide quality gently used clothing to individuals and families in our community. Whatever Community Aid collects in their clothing collection bins, the donations stays local. Community Aid’s mission will continue to be “neighbors helping neighbors”. We will always be reinvesting in the lives of our community by providing jobs in our thrift stores and affordable gently used clothing.

For a list of Community Aid clothing collection bins near you please visit our website at www.communityaid.net. Or, keep a watchful eye around your community for the hands on our bins, a symbol of everyone working together…neighbors helping neighbors. 

Hanover

Have you ever read the old nursery rhyme, “Old Mother Hubbard?”

“Old Mother Hubbard

Went to the cupboard

To get her poor dog a bone

But when she came there

The cupboard was bare,

And so the poor dog had none…”

Community Aid is always grateful for the never ending support of our partners in the community. This support comes in the form of clothing donations which feeds our store in Hanover. Hanover was the second store that Community Aid opened in May 2011. Our Hanover Thrift store boasts a 32,000 square foot building which is considered to be the area’s best thrift store. Just like Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard and found no bones for her dog, there are seasons at our Hanover store when we experience equal emptiness. Thanks to CBS21 News for producing a story about our empty shelves and sparse clothing racks at our Hanover store. Community Aid in Hanover wants to continue our mission in servicing the community and distributing cash grants to numerous churches and organizations. We can’t effectively minister to nonprofit charitable organizations when we are low in product to sell. So instead of running to your cupboards, run to your closet and donate your gently used clothing. Help us fill the shelves in Hanover.

March Madness

We are wild about our everyday sales going on in our Thrift Stores located in Mechanicsburg and Hanover. Remember how it all started? In 2009, Glen Chandler had a vision to make clean, bright stores with quality gently used clothing to sell at an affordable price. So, where’s the madness in that? As a result of our partnerships with numerous churches, nonprofit and charitable organizations we have given away close to $1.8 million dollars in cash grants. That’s pretty crazy, but Community Aid, wouldn’t have it any other way. We want you to go wild this month…clean out those closets….and drop off your gently used clothing so we can continue the madness, especially in March. Thank you to all our faithful customers, and those who donate to us. Here’s to March Madness 2013! Game on!

About Us

If you are driving around central Pennsylvania keep a watchful eye for our beige bins with our signature logo: hand prints in the color of burgundy, forest green and navy blue.  We are Community Aid founded in 2009, a nonprofit charitable organization with its mission to give financial support to community members who partner with us. We are a clothing collection thrift store, blessed to give back to the community what customers give to us.

So what sets us apart from the other guys? We are a nonprofit organization; so as you drop your gently used clothing in our bins, you can be assured your donations will stay local. The money raised in our stores goes right back into the community. In fact since our doors opened in 2009, Community Aid has given over $1.7 million dollars back to the community in cash grants to its partners.

 As a consumer we are encouraging you to stay informed. Find out who you are donating to when you drop your donations off in a clothing collection bin. We are quite certain you want your donations to stay local and directly benefit your neighbors living in your community. With that being said, thank you so much for your generous donations.

So after you have dropped off your donations get out of your car and shop in our stores. You’ll be glad you did. Don’t forget to visit us on the web at www.communityaid.net and like us on Facebook, search: Community Aid Pa and follow us on twitter @communityaidpa.  

Family Day Sale

Family Day sales are a big hit especially at what I would like to consider our “home store”. It is easy for me to consider Mechanicsburg our “home store” because our administrative offices are located in the rear of the thrift store located right here on the “pike”. Whenever Wednesday rolls around, our Family Day sale always produces a highly successful day. I measure our success by three factors. First, the parking lot is always jammed packed. It is like trying to find a parking spot at the mall at Christmastime. (don’t let this dissuade you in away…come join the fun) Being a new transplant to Central Pennsylvania, I am beginning to think that everyone in this community strategically holds out for this sale. I mean 50% off...How can you beat that? Second, the bathroom is as busy as the parking lot. Since our administrative offices share the same space with the thrift store, well, you guessed it. Let’s say there can be some challenges. Lastly, the customers. I enjoy standing still and listening to the “This is nice” or the “Mom, can I get this?” or my favorite “Does this look good on me?” comments.  I find great power in being surrounded with a host of people looking for a great deal and finding it.  

A Local Community

Walking through the aisles of our stores and looking out over the clothing that so neatly hung brings a few things to mind. Our society is on the cusp of changing the way we view thrift store shopping. Customers represent a diverse ethnic and economic background that helps sustain our stores and provide a strong local economy. It is quite common to see our customers visit with complete strangers while they are shopping. You will often see customers’ helping each other, courtesy is never a foreign idea in our stores among customers.  Community Aid is a place where people know they can find quality clothing at a price that is affordable. However, it goes far beyond that. Our customers become our family.  Customers ask for our cashier’s by name and our cashier’s ask how our customer’s are doing by name. Who would have thought a local thrift store can evoke so much care. In all actuality, Community Aid really is, “neighbors helping neighbors” in more ways than one.  

A Team Effort

In order to make available quality, affordable, clothing to our customers, we rely on our production team in the warehouse. Without our sorters for clothing and bric-a-brac, if it wasn’t for our team pricing clothing, bric-a-brac and various other items we would not be able to pay our employees.  The team back in the warehouse makes it all happen for our stores at Community Aid. As the music plays on the radio one can hear random “who-hoo” of cheering and comradery among the team. Thanks to the hard work of so many of our warehouse production crew who fuel our stores with the generous donations from our community members. Your teamwork and family atmosphere that you create while working is inspiring to all.

Community Aid Dictionary

Bric-a-brac: Souvenirs, family heirlooms, plates, mugs, or any other item you are willing to part with that has occupied too much space on your shelf, cupboard or closet.