The first time we met her she was pregnant and had come to the LifeSavers Upscale Resale Store to take advantage of our voucher program, which provides structure and guidance along with discounts on clothes and diapers. She was in a very difficult place.

She’s doing better now and shows up regularly – every few weeks. We’re always happy to see her. Happy that we can help her find the items she needs at a price she can afford. But, also because she brings her used plastic grocery bags! 

Happy, not just because we really need (reuse) those bags, but also because we love the look on her face as she hands them over. She’s benefitted from our services and now she’s taking her own initiative to give back. It’s about the repurposing of more than just grocery bags.

At LifeSavers Upscale Resale Store we’re in the repurposing business. We repurpose donations in the form of goods, and goodness in the form of giving.

We also care about the environment. Thrift stores reuse tons of goods. In fact, Goodwill alone diverts more than 3 billion tons of clothing and goods from landfills each year. While we also play a part in that process, there is still a huge amount of waste. Take clothing for example: 

• Each year, over 21 billion pounds of textile waste goes into landfills
• According to Planet Aid a simple cotton shirt uses up over 700 gallons of water to manufacture it
• The average American throws out about 82 pounds of textile waste per year

Reusing clothes and goods is not a new idea. Those of us who are more “seasoned” (older) remember hand-me-downs. Those handed down to weren’t always excited about it. But, it made good sense economically and environmentally. 

Interestingly, we now see many young people in our stores who could afford new clothes but prefer something a bit more distinctive. In fact, it’s reported that Millenials and Gen Z’s are transitioning to thrift store shopping 2.5 times faster than any other generation. 

Your donations of gently used clothing, household goods, furniture, and other merchandise, are having a positive impact on the environment as well as the souls we seek to serve. 

There are plenty of great organizations out there that help repurpose clothing and other goods. But, we offer the opportunity to repurpose for an even greater purpose. Your generous donations providing funding and supplies for young mothers in crisis. 

Thank you in advance for those contributions. Come see us! 

If you think of it, please bring us some grocery bags!