Good Cheer Thrift Stores – How They Work

The Good Cheer Food Bank is funded almost entirely by your donations. Furniture, clothing, personal items and other goods brought to Good Cheer’s distribution center are cleaned and shipped out for sale at the Langley and Clinton thrift stores.

There is also a boutique clothing store called The Rack that is located in Clinton. The revenue derived from the stores helps pay for the food bank’s operation.

This is where it all starts as Good Cheer turns old furniture, clothes, appliances and knick-knacks into food for hungry families and individuals on South Whidbey. The items in high demand are house wares, 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 salable?”

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

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.

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 and the Rack where it is merchandised and ready for sale.

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

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.

Just last year, phase two of our capital campaign provided for the renovation of our main thrift store in Langley. The renovation added an additional 1,140 square feet of retail space and will help to produce additional revenues for the thrift store. The renovation will positively impact the community by providing a greater amount of affordable clothes and household goods, and by increasing profits to support the Good Cheer Food Bank.

This year marks the 50^th year of Good Cheer’s presence on South Whidbey and we need to be mindful of how far we have come and what support we are now capable of offering our community. We have built a very strong foundation for the food bank and it will serve this community very well.

Just click on the photo above and you can see the changes that have taken place at the Langley Thrift Store.

To support your local food bank click here.

Good Cheer!