Nonprofit
Volunteers wanted in Woodlawn at St. Stephen's Thrift Shop
Details
Description
St. Stephen’s Thrift Shop’s mission is providing the Woodlawn Bronx community and surrounding neighborhoods with quality, affordable shopping options, reducing waste through thoughtful reuse, and supporting the mission and works of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. The Shop has been a resource in the neighborhood since the 1990s, and operates primarily with volunteer help.
We welcome our Volunteers in the front and back of house during our business hours (currently Wednesdays and Saturdays with more operating days coming soon) and have hours when the Shop is closed for organizing, cleaning, research, and processing donations under the direction of the Thrift Shop Volunteer Coordinators and/or Lead Volunteers. We try to create a welcoming, low-stress environment where volunteers enjoy autonomy and meaningful work and build connections to the community.
We have Volunteers of all ages helping out according to the time they have available for us, and the talents they want to share. Some come every Saturday at noon on the dot like clockwork, and some just have to roll with what life throws at their schedule that week. Some just love helping people at the register wrap up two books on caligraphy with a small ream of special paper, and a beautiful piece of lusterware that will make a great gift for their friend's housewarming party, and to celebrate your find of a $4 pair of jeans with the tags still on them. Some people want to come in for their shift and find a workroom of unopened donation boxes and large bags of clothing and to sort through them to put the chaos in order. Some don't want to spend the day in conversation, but are happy to hang new artwork and sweep the porch and sidewalk, or go find decorations for the next holiday in the attic. Many of our Volunteers are happy to do a combination of things, as long as they are not sitting at a desk!
St. Stephen’s Thrift Shop’s mission is providing the Woodlawn Bronx community and surrounding neighborhoods with quality, affordable shopping options, reducing waste through thoughtful reuse, and supporting the mission and works of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. The Shop has been a resource in the neighborhood since the 1990s, and operates primarily with volunteer help.
We welcome our Volunteers in the front and back of house during our business hours (currently Wednesdays and Saturdays with more operating days coming soon) and have hours when the Shop is closed for organizing, cleaning, research, and processing donations under the direction of the Thrift Shop Volunteer Coordinators and/or Lead Volunteers. We try to create a welcoming, low-stress environment where volunteers enjoy autonomy and meaningful work and build connections to the community.
We have Volunteers of all ages helping out according to the time they have available for us, and the…
Location
St. Stephen's Thrift Shop
Directions
The shop is at 435 E. 238th Street, located between Martha and Vireo Avenues. Transit accessible via Woodlawn MetroNorth station, 4 and D subway lines connecting to the 16 & 34 NYC buses, the 2 or 5 subway to Nereid Ave (240th St aka McLean Ave in Yonkers) and the Westchester Bee Line 25 & 26 buses. Street or metered parking is available throughout the neighborhood and parking is free at the MetroNorth station on weekends.
Apply to This Volunteer Opportunity
Please consider what tasks you are comfortable performing and be ready to discuss your preferences with us:
Merchandise Processing (Highest Priority): □ Sorting donations □ Tagging items (using provided pricing guides) □ Using pricing guns □ Moving seasonal inventory to/from storage □ Creating displays □ Testing electronics □ Evaluating item quality/condition □ Identifying items for clearance/sale areas □ Quality control
Physical Tasks: □ Using stairs □ Standing for extended periods (1+ hours) □ Lifting items up to 20 lbs □ Lifting items between 20-40 lbs □ Carrying boxes or bags □ Reaching high shelves
Cleaning Tasks: □ Sweeping □ Mopping □ Dusting □ Cleaning bathrooms □ Emptying trash/taking out garbage □ Organizing/tidying display areas
Customer Service/Sales: □ Operating cash register/Square POS system □ Customer assistance and creating a welcoming atmosphere □ Answering phones □ Assisting and thanking donors
Marketing & Outreach: □ Social media management (Facebook) □ Social media management (Instagram) □ Distributing flyers in Woodlawn and surrounding neighborhoods □ Photography of shop items
Specialized Skills: Researching value of china/dishware □ Researching value of jewelry □ Researching value of collectibles/antiques □ Knowledge of vintage clothing □ Knowledge of books/literature
Other Skills (please list any special skills, such as foreign languages, computer skills, crafting, etc.):
