people with toaster

Behind the Scenes at the Thrift Shop

What happens when the toaster you no longer need leaves your trunk? You know when you donate to the Thrift Shop you contribute to NFCC operations and programs, but you might be surprised how many helping hands are involved.

First, Donor Door Supervisor, Rodney Hilliard inspects your toaster. If it’s in good condition, he passes it along to a team of volunteers who will shine it up and test it to make sure it’s in working order. We have weekly volunteers who specialize, becoming experts in their area. One team comes in each week to test and repair electronic equipment. Others sort through glassware, décor, textiles and clothing.

Next it goes to Nancy Hintz and the pricing team who research the toaster brand and model to assign a price. Priced to sell and on the shelf, your toaster can find a new life in a college dorm or maybe with a young family in their first apartment.

Constantly churning through donations and sales is a massive undertaking that requires hundreds of manpower hours. Working together, staff and volunteers often get items from the donor door to the showroom floor in 48 hours or less.

If the toaster doesn’t sell quickly, another volunteer will pull it off the shelf. NFCC partners with a metal recycler, and an electronics recycling company who buy unsellable items. The Thrift Shop also sells unsold clothing to a rag dealer. We make every effort to sell what you donate, maximizing profit and keeping goods out of landfills.

If you would like to join our staff or our crew of volunteers, we would love to have you.

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Did You Know:

125+ families receive food each day and close to 23,000 food orders are filled each year.