Photo courtesy of SJ Photography

The Good Cheer Thrift stores will be open on the 4^th of July so plan on stopping by. We have a lot of changes taking place with all the new construction, giving us the ability to highlight certain departments and make your shopping easier.

Here is Aljean Muncey in the new sewing and linen department at the Langley Store, so well organized what a great job! Aljean has been a volunteer for the last six years and has made the sewing and crafts department her area of focus.

Bill Tulloch built the shelves for the linen department and crafts center right to Aljean specifications. Aljean says “I’m very excited about the remodel of the store and have enjoyed hearing everybody’s reactions to the changes!”

The new shelving gives us more room for product and the new space makes everything easy to find.

Whether it’s linens, clothing, shoes or a nice summer outfit you can find something special at the Langley thrift store or the Good Cheer Clothing Rack in Clinton. Remember this Tuedsay is Bag Day, whatever clothing fits in a bag only costs $6.

Come on in a visit our stores!  Our merchandise changes daily, so come often and take a look at what’s new

Last year I wrote a wonderful story about Mira Slovak who used to drive the Miss Wahoo hydroplane. It is a story of freedom and has been getting quite a few views due to the 4th of July. Just click on the hydroplane and it will take you to the post..

Have Good Cheer and a Happy 4th!

The Good Cheer Thrift Stores can help you achieve that “design on a dime” look for your home. The fact is that all of the items pictured in this post came from our thrift stores…….pretty amazing don’t you think!

Thrift stores are a funny thing. At first sight they seem to be nothing but a jumble of junk; how could there be anything that you would ever want. We all know that someone else’s junk can be another’s treasure and you need to mindful of the many wonderful donations that find their way to our stores. Shopping our thrift stores helps to fight hunger and you may become the next thrift store king or queen?

Items for the kitchen.

Desks

Sofas

The exhilaration of the find is what drives most to the thrift store. You may not find something on your first visit, but, chances are that you will find that special something as time passes.

Lynn Parr is our mystery thrift store queen! She purchased all the merchandise depicted at Good Cheer and has put it to work at her Eagles Inspiration Wellness Retreat.

Lynn recently posted an article on her Whidbey Wellness blog entitled “Whales, Wares and Other Whidbey.”

Lynn said “I believe in sustainable living, recycling and protecting the “Health and Wellness”  of our environment and Mother Earth.  Why buy new when used will do and you can end hunger at the same time?  Good Cheer’s thrift stores offer an abundance of treasures and wares.

Whidbey Wellness/Eagles Inspiration Retreat is adorned with treasures of furniture, dishes, linens and bedding to pictures, lamps, nic-nacs and more… I believe at least 85 – 90% of all the items I purchased since last fall to furnish, decorate and stock Eagles Inspiration Retreat was from the local thrift stores.

I’ve been so blessed to find good quality and clean items.  Just at the times when I went out looking for something specific ~ there it was, the ‘perfect fit’ ~  And we’re talking MANY, MANY trips just like that!  It’s a WIN WIN for everyone.  I am saving a great deal of money on very reasonably priced items, recycling and helping in one way to contribute back to my community.”

You can view the full article with more photos by clicking here.

Lynn is a great advocate for our local thrift stores and we thank her for her thoughtful words.

Good Cheer and keep on shopping!

Have you ever been stuck in the line for the Clinton Ferry with nothing to do? The Good  Cheer Thrift store may just be steps away from being your salvation if your not by yourself!  Just send someone up to the thrift store; stores hours at the Clinton Good Cheer Thrift Store Two are everyday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Both of Good Cheer’s thrift stores have been working on their book sections. You can pick up a book to read for as low as 25 cents and most of the hardbacks are just a dollar.  Unless your building a library buying books at Good Cheer can become a way of recycling books within our community and helping to feed people as well. I always return the books that I have read and let Good Cheer recycle the book once more.

On a wet and rainy day getting a book might be the answer, it should be in walking distance.

Your time will come.

You can even go down to the Clinton Beach Park. The park has a lot to offer with its sand beach and children’s play area.

This has been just a short reminder post, it’s time to get ready for the Super Bowl!

Bring your used books to Good Cheer; they will be put to good use.

Good Cheer and may the best team win!

Make it your mission to wear Red on February 4th! The Good Cheer Thrift Stores and The Rack will be highlighting red outfits this week. If you buy Red today through Friday, February 4th, you will get 25% off your purchase of red.

Last years event was made pretty spectacular by the splashes of red that turned up in the most unexpected places!

The Pike Place Market

Graceland will be going Red this year!

Good Cheer and happy shopping!

Saturday  is the last day of Langley Holiday Late Nights and the Good Cheer thrift store will will be open until 8 p.m. to help make your Christmas shopping a little more fun.

We have decided to make it an event with lots of savings and holiday cheer! Gingerbread cookies will be served from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

You can save up to 25% off on everything in the store!

If you just stop by the thrift store between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. you’ll receive a $5 store coupon.

At the cash register, when you purchase items from the thrift store, you will receive a candy Santa and this will tell you how much of a discount you will receive. The discounts are between 10% and 25%. On top of that, if your purchase is $5 or more, you will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Good Cheer gift certificate, the drawing will be held at 7:30 p.m.

Trinity Lutheran Quilters just donated 6 just homemade quilts. We had a meeting with the volunteers here at Bayview and they thought it best to sell them in our Thrift Stores at a very reasonable price. They would make a GREAT holiday gift and remember it is because of our Thrift Stores that we are able to operate a state of the art food bank.

Here is a link to the Good Cheer Facebook article with more photos.

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!