Growing up in Portage, Michigan, Mom took me and my siblings to garage sales and thrift stores for our clothes. A trip to Kmart, Max $10, or the Crossroads Mall was a luxury. My love of thrifting and a good deal continues as a thirty-something, so it was a match made in heaven when I received my Ohio State MLK Jr. Day Site Leader Packet assignment this morning: Goodwill Whitehall!
The Whitehall Goodwill is rated among the top 6 thrift stores in Columbus, and after an afternoon working at this sizable operation, I can see why! Cindy, the Store Manager, was incredibly welcoming and grateful for our collective 30 volunteer hours. Serving alongside the most incredible sister scholars from Kappa Phi Lambda, our group was able to pull 14 very full racks of blue and green tags to be shipped out of the store and make way for new fashions and treasures. Our back end work saved the store the cost of paid hours and allowed reallocation of employee resources toward customer-centric tasks. I lead a small group reflection on how this service project focused on social justice, access to goods and resources, job/employment opportunities, barrier removal, and disability empowerment. Then, we took time to shop and support the store with our dollars before the bus came to pick us up!
My favorite part of volunteering today (other than the generous free breakfast, lunch, and MLK Service Day long-sleeve t-shirt) was the ability to meet so many incredible humans in one activity. To hear their passions, stories, and share in a meaningful time by giving back to our community was a true gift. So in honor of a man whose passion was bringing people closer together toward equality, Martin Luther King, Jr., we remember you today.
#GoBucks #OSUpayitforward #OSUMLK2020
