The Good Cheer Rack is having a grand re-opening this weekend starting on September 4th.  A grand celebration; with barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers!

We wanted to have a larger site to display our goods and it was a necessity to have a  “REAL” dressing room. Yes, it has a door:)

We’ve been moving into the world of social networking over the past year. The Good Cheer Blog and Good Cheer Garden Blog have been well received and is a great way to keep you informed of the happenings at the food bank.

We now have a Facebook site for the Rack in Clinton. This gives us the ability to show new arrivals and is just another way of having a conversation with the community on South Whidbey Island.

Play our Rack Bingo game, the more you shop, the more you save.  You can turn in your receipt for our special hourly drawing and you could win a gift certificate good for half the total on your sales receipt.

Good Cheer!

Just last week we had volunteers from Windermere at Good Cheer. This sets a tremendous example for the people in the community. It also affirms the efforts that are made daily by our volunteers at the Good Cheer Food Bank and its Thrift Stores.

Volunteering is a form of giving. It is sharing what we value with others without counting on the reciprocal expectation of recognition or gratitude.

“The value of man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.”

–Albert Einstein

True giving is done without expecting something in return. Most of the time we are giving someone something they need, and they usually don’t have the means to give anything back. Usually, the act of giving is to help and the only thing that could diminish that act, I believe, is to do it expecting something out of it.

Good Cheer is blessed to have many volunteers that know the true value of giving.  This past Father’s Day we had two Dads who couldn’t be with their children; so why not help out at the thrift store.

This is a photo of Mike and Sydney with Cary Peterson (Good Cheer Garden Coordinator) at the Summer Volunteer Party.

Mike Hoffman was recently assigned the new role of managing the Langley Thrift Store Hardware department.  Mike and his wife Sydney (a food bank volunteer) got together with Don and Anne Zontine and decided to spend some time organizing the hardware department. By day’s end they had spent 5 hours at the thrift store on Father’s Day giving back and doing what only comes naturally to them.

This is a photo of Don and Anne working at the Good Cheer garden this past week. Anne is a regular garden volunteer and Don is a truck driver volunteer for Good Cheer.

It was far from an easy task to organize the hardware area at the Langley Store; I know that Mike has been working on it for a while.

There has also been great progress at the Clinton Thrift Store where you will find a large selection of tools to help you around the home.

The Good Cheer Food Bank is a life line for families who get cut off from the work force.  Many who had traditionally supported organizations such as ours (prior to the collapse of the economy a few years ago) now find themselves as recipients of this service.

Corrine Bayley Food Bank Volunteer works the check in counter every Tuesday afternoon and is our professional volunteer photographer.

When many public assistance programs were eliminated during the 1980s local communities found themselves swamped to provide basic nourishment for the elderly, families subsisting on one worker income at minimum wage, the unemployed and their children.

Colby Snow volunteers at special events and is the driver of our soap box derby car and provided technical support at our talent show.

Volunteer efforts through churches, local clubs and private organizations came together in many communities to provide this vital assistance.

Lou Donaty is Damien Cotez’s back-up man in the Food Bank.

But for the self-sacrifice of individuals who themselves are not wealthy and the generous donations of many others, many children in this country would suffer developmental issues related to nutrition and diet; and elder citizens on a fixed income would have to choose between their food and their medications.

Jim Engstrom is a longtime volunteer worker at Good Cheer Two, in the Food Bank and also the Distribution Center.

The volunteers that we have highlighted are just a few of the people that are so essential to the Good Cheer Food Bank and Thrift Stores.

If you have any interest in giving through volunteer work here is a link to helping in the fashion that suits you best.

Good Cheer!

The Good Cheer Food Bank has been hit by a double whammy; a 48-percent drop in donations and a huge increase in the number of customers. I suppose I should mention that we have had some unanticipated expenses. A  $3000 repair bill for the food bank’s delivery truck would have bought a  lot of groceries.

The past couple of years, people have been aware of the recession and have wanted to help. Now it seems as though the recession is getting to be just a part of life, and every month we’re getting further behind. We have been adding new events like the Mother of all Talent Shows and we will continue to make adjustments to better serve the community.

This blog is a very useful tool for getting the word out to our wonderful supporters. Perhaps you can spread the word of need to your friends by emailing a link (how to create a link in an email) to this post or to the Good Cheer Blogspot.

We have had to cap the number of points large households receive, plus increase points for some food items. The point price for several items have increased, especially for certain processed foods such as Hamburger Helper. In addition, volunteers and staff are implementing ways to provide greater structure to our check-in program.

The Good Cheer garden provides some good news in the face of these price hikes. Because of the increasing bounty from Good Cheer’s garden, now in its second season, the prices on fresh fruits and vegetables are low; sometimes free. We’re trying not to raise the price on things that are good for our clients.

Part of Good Cheer’s fundraising strategy is to find ways for the thrift stores to generate more money. We will be putting collectible items, that haven’t sold in our stores, on Ebay. This is because, they are collectibles, and those who collect those types of items haven’t walked through our doors.  This will give us more exposure.

John Ball was recently hired to take on the job of  Distribution Center Associate; to help Good Cheer become more efficient in our pursuit of raising more money from the items that you are donating to us.

John has experience with E-Bay as he had an on-line book business for years. John will be responsible for  managing the new Good Cheer E-Bay account. This should increase our sales and gives us a good on-line presence.

John was recently honored by the South Whidbey Rotary Club for his more than 21 years of volunteer work at Good Cheer. Having previously owned the Mad Hatter’s Old Books store that operated in Langley, he knows the fair market value of many of the items, and if not, knows how to research how they should be priced.

He once received an 1862 Sharp Pepperbox revolver donated to Good Cheer. “I knew it was very valuable, but I wasn’t exactly sure about the dollar amount. So I researched and found a gun expert in California who sold it for us through an auction house for $900.” More recently, some U.S. Cavalry saddlebags popped up at Good Cheer and were valued at $135. John found a reference to them in a history book.

Before his bookstore, John played professional soccer, worked at the old Rainier Brewery in Seattle, fought forest fires, and tended bar at The Dog House in Langley.

We will be extending our Bayview facility donation hours Tuesdays through Fridays until 7 p.m. This should allow us to receive more donations for sale in our thrift stores as well as  making it more convenient for people to volunteer at Good Cheer after work.  To learn more about volunteering at Good Cheer click here.

It is our hope that the longer hours of operation at the Distribution Center will be a convenience for the people who donate items to Good Cheer. Many out-of-area charities are soliciting for furniture and clothing donations on South Whidbey. Good Cheer’s major funding source is from the sales proceeds from its Thrift Stores, and we rely upon our hometown area for item donations. Community donations help our community.

We are fortunate to have a marvelous team of volunteers performing vital functions – but what we need right now are monetary donations to keep our Food Bank shelves stocked.

If you can contribute, please use the remit envelope in Good Cheer’s last newsletter, contribute online by clicking here, or mail in a donation to Good Cheer, PO Box 144, Langley, WA 98260.

I wanted to share some thoughts from Rita Burns, your Good Cheer Operations Manager, who was recently quoted in an article from the South Whidbey Record.

“The economy may slowly be improving, but you wouldn’t know it by the number of people coming to the Food Bank.  Many people have finally exhausted their savings after losing jobs or experiencing a drop in business, and must now turn to Good Cheer for help in feeding their families. Some days our waiting room is quite full as only six shopping carts can fit inside the grocery area at a time.”

“What really touches my heart are the young children with their mothers. Did you know that last year Good Cheer provided supplemental food for 1,665 children on South Whidbey?”

“Thank God we live in a place where neighbors care about neighbors and believe that creating and sustaining a hunger-free community matters.”

Good Cheer!

Good Cheer understands that Easter is a time of celebration and fun!

In keeping with that spirit; we’ve decided to have a little fun at the Good Cheer Thrift Stores.

When you or a member of your family wear an Easter bonnet to the Good Cheer Thrift stores on Saturday, April 3rd, you will receive a 25% discount on everything in our thrift stores. Yes, that means everything; even items marked with an “X”!

This is something that you can have fun with. Just find a cap or a hat and decorate it! Kids love this kind of stuff and it can save you some money when you’re shopping our thrift stores.

Be prepared, the Good Cheer staff will take pictures of everyone who participates and we’ll place the pictures on our new Good Cheer blog. The person who receives the most votes for their hat will win a $100 Good Cheer gift certificate. You’ll want to encourage all your friends and family to vote for your hat!

All you have to do in order to vote is to go to this blog site and look for the “Easter Bonnet Photos Post.” The photo post should be up by Tuesday of next week. We will number each photo; all you have to do is identify the one that caught your eye.  Just click on responses at the top of the post; if there are no responses that means your are the first.  If you are having problems with that; you can just email me directly with your vote at kathy@goodcheer.org.

Don’t have an Easter bonnet or cap? Make your own! The more unusual and creative the better!

Even adults can have fun!

To most people Easter is a celebration of the Resurrection of Christ.

This year the 2010 Easter Date of April 4th applies to the western calendar (Catholic and Protestant Churches), and also to the The Eastern Orthodox church. This is an unusual event since the two branches of Christianity have different methods for calculating the correct date for Easter. There are only a few years each century when the Easter dates match like this so Easter 2010 is seen as extra special.

The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime. Some called this a pagan festival. As it happened, the pagan festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ. It made sense, therefore, to alter the festival itself, to make it a Christian celebration as converts were slowly won over. The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.

The Easter Egg

As with the Easter Bunny and the holiday itself, the Easter Egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians.

From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers.

Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real Easter eggs — those made of plastic or chocolate candy.

Good Cheer!

The Good Cheer Food Bank and Thrift Stores are a good cause to support. Good Cheer turns old furniture, clothes, appliances and knick-knacks into food for hungry families and individuals on South Whidbey.

With spring just around the corner, the time is now to start thinking about storing winter clothing and preparing for the warmer weather. Motivated and with spring cleaning in mind, you’re now wondering what to do with the pinstripe pants suit you bought three years ago and never wore, the leather pumps collecting dust under the bed, and the paisley print scarf that just doesn’t really go with anything.

There may be some separation anxiety involved in the process but you can be assured that your donations will have a positive effect on the community where you live. The Thrift Stores have a number of items that they are really looking for. Sometimes visuals have a better impact than a list. You’ll find photos of the items that the Thrift Stores are in need of.

We want you to know that any donation that is made, regardless of type, is deeply appreciated.

Donations are the life and blood of this organization; without which our ability to impact lives in the community would be greatly diminished.

So, with that in mind…………..

Sporting Goods

Bookcases

Dressers

Power Tools

Hand and Yard Tools

Couches and Recliners

Mattresses and Bed Frames

Washing Machines and Dryers

Refrigerators

Small Kitchen Appliances

Corning Ware and Baking Dishes

Camping Gear

Yarn

Art Supplies

Boats? That would buy a lot of food!

Call 221-6454 ext. 5 for pick-up of large furniture and appliances. You can also drop off items at 2812 in Bayview, just north of Bayview Corner. The donation drop-off center is open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Our volunteers will sort, prep and price them in our new Bayview facility and then move them to Good Cheer Thrift Stores in Langley and Clinton. Sales from the thrift stores support Good Cheer and help feed people in need in our community.

You can bring smaller donations and food items directly to the thrift stores if it is more convenient.

Remember to get your receipt for your tax-deductible donation.

To find out more about making donations to Good Cheer just click the above photo.

Good Cheer!

The Good Cheer Thrift Stores work because you make it possible. Without your donations the whole premise behind the Good Cheer Food Bank evaporates. We are currently running a little short on donations so keep that in mind as you start your spring cleaning.

The whole process starts with your donations. You should know that the items in high demand are housewares, linens, tools, books, men’s clothing, children’s clothing, antiques, jewelry, small appliances, and furniture.

When considering donating items to Good Cheer, please ask yourself; “Is this something that I would buy. Are my donations clean, complete, usable and saleable?”

If an item is donated and it is soiled; the expense of cleaning is just too much for Good Cheer. Some volunteers, in the past, actually would take the soiled clothing home and clean them. Obviously, that was not the answer.

Just a heads up on the issue.

This is where it starts as Good Cheer turns old furniture, clothes, appliances and knick-knacks into food for hungry families and individuals on South Whidbey.

To find out more about where to bring your donations and a list of items that we cannot accept click here.

The items are then sorted, placed into labeled boxes and put into storage.  The volunteers  then pull the boxes and  the items are priced and placed in plastic containers. The truck drivers then deliver the merchandise to the two thrift stores where it is merchandised and ready for sale.

Rita  Burns the Operations Manager at Good Cheer clearly states the importance of the volunteers at Good Cheer. Don Roan is her right hand man and has been around for as long as she can remember. His experience in pricing is an integral part of the operation. Sean McLaughlin spends 6-8 hours a day six days a week volunteering. He specializes in electronics and tests merchandise to make sure that it works.

If you find that the merchandise isn’t working; Good Cheer has a 3 day return policy. You can return the merchandise and receive a store credit.

Max the Good Cheer Guard Dog. Yikes!

Each sales ticket is marked with a date and after a period of time the item will repriced. There are a number of sales that take place and we will try to keep you informed on this blog. Remember, the Bag Sale, it happens on the first Tuesday of every month. You should note that some sales may exclude new merchandise. Be sure to check with the salesperson if you have any questions. They will be happy to help you out.

You can write a comment by clicking comments or no responses at the top right corner of this article.

Good Cheer!

The new blog site is enabling us to get information to you on a more frequent basis. Some of you, who are actively involved, will be more aware of the progress and goals that we have set.

Now that Phase One is completed it is time to move on to the next phase.

September 12th was when Laura Price, the former Board President, burned the old loan papers. Now the facility and its improvements are free and clear. Phase One involved the purchase of the former Masonic Lodge and property in Bayview, plus making renovations and constructing the addition of a freezer and refrigerator wing.

The next challenge involves opening up the second floor of The Good Cheer Langley Thrift Store. The thrift stores are the main operational funding source for the food bank. The addition of an elevator to the second floor will allow us establish office spaces, meeting rooms, storage and a place to mark and price merchandise. This will allows us to renovate the main floor and  add more floor space.

The thrift stores are what make The Good Cheer Food Bank truly unique. We don’t have to rely on governmental grants/programs and general fund raising for financial stability.

Many food banks across America are seeing shortages; we are much more stable with the support
that the thrift stores provide.

Also, unlike many other food banks in the state, Good Cheer Food Bank is open at least seven hours a day, six days a week and even provides home delivery to house-bound seniors and the disabled. A search for other similar programs has not turned up a comparable self-sustaining food bank operation in terms of scale and hours of operation in western Washington.

This successful and replicable funding approach has caught the interest of other food banks in the Northwest. With the improvement of facilities, Good Cheer will offer information to other organizations interested in this model of client services and operational sustainability.

People helping people for all the right reasons; pretty wonderful!

The additional square footage could well mean an additional $25,000 a year in revenues. This money will help to fund the operational aspect of the Food Bank. The capital campaign is currently at $1,137,00; 81% towards its $1.4 million goal.

You may ask who we are serving on South Whidbey? In 2007 Good Cheer provided food to 2,780 people. In 2008, this number jumped to 4,044, and in 2009, client numbers were once again up; 5,046 people accessed supplemental food through the Food Bank at least once during the year. In December of 2009, 830 households came to the Food Bank.

Clients include the unemployed, single mothers, seniors, the chronically ill, the physically and mentally disabled, displaced homemakers, homeless teens and families, and increasingly, the working poor.

Due to the high cost of living on South Whidbey, Good Cheer assists many families where either one or both parents are employed, the working poor. According to the U.S. 2000 census, in Freeland alone, about 10% of families and 12% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 or over. Many clients only access the Food Bank for a short time while others rely on it year round.

Please help us complete the campaign. Capital Campaign donations can be mailed to Good Cheer Capital Campaign: PO Box 144, Langley, WA 98260.

Here is a link to our Donation Page.

For information about making a pledge, building naming opportunities, and gifts of stock or property, contact Kathy McLaughlin at Good Cheer at (360) 221-6454, ext. 6.

It’s Back! Good Cheer’s Biggest, Baddest Bag Sale Of Them All!

This is a reminder, a doorbuster sale, that takes place the first Tuesday of the Month between 10:00 a.m. and 5 p.m at the Langley store and from 9:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. at the Clothing Rack in Clinton. Mark your calendar for February 2nd and pile up some real bargains!

Ever wanted a real grab bag? Here’s your chance.

Come shop the Good Cheer Thrift Stores we’ll supply the bag, normal grocery store bag, and you do the choosing, grabbing and stuffing of any clothing item under $10.

Whatever clothing you can fit into one bag, you pay only $5! Now that’s a bargain!

Questions? Call 221-6454 or email kathy@goodcheer.org.

Find a treasure at either of the two Thrift Stores; Langley or Clinton. The bag sale is for clothing only.

Why buy new when used will do… and you can help end hunger at the same time?

Thrift Store (Langley)
114 Anthes / P.O. Box 144
Langley, WA 98260

Good Cheer Two Thrift Store (Clinton)

4777 Commercial, Clinton, WA (Near Clinton Food Mart & Jim’s Hardware)
Now Open 7 days A Week! • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kids clothes too!

Good Cheer Two, Clinton Thrift Store, now sells clothing in an adjacent suite dubbed “Good Cheer Clothing Rack”.
The store sells gently used clothing for the entire family, everything from sleepwear to winter coats, plus shoes and accessories for $7 or less.

Proceeds help fund Good Cheer, which operates the community food bank.

While not clothing the fluffy toys are fun and make a good play thing for Fido.

Good Cheer’s Clothing Rack is open weekdays from noon to 5 p.m. and from noon. to 5 p.m. Sundays thru Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The bag sale is an exception to the normal operating hours; remember the Good Cheer Clothing Rack will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the day of the sale.

The photos are from the Langley store, I’ll make a point of getting some from the Clinton store in the future.

Good Shopping!