Second-hand Shops and Sites

Fair Trade, Saving money, Shopping,

Good Friday morning! As promised, I’m back with another post for you!

In 2016, a survey showed that Americans throw away about 26 BILLION pounds of textiles per year. Think about that. Somewhere in the world, a poor farmer was paid a slim amount for his water- and pesticide-drenched cotton crop. Then children and other workers (making far too little to live on) put in long hours weaving, dying, cutting and sewing that cotton into shirts. We popped in to a fast fashion retailer and bought one of those shirts because “it’s just a couple bucks and I really like that color.” We wore it a handful of times, and because the shirt was cheap, when it started to show wear we didn’t feel bad about just tossing it out. Now multiply that by 26 billion pounds, and repeat year after year.

Retailers compete with each other, so keeping prices low is a priority for them. To do that, they have sacrificed both the quality of goods offered and the wages paid to everyone on the supply chain. The obvious answer is to buy from retailers who use fair trade labor practices, which insure that everyone along the supply chain was paid a fair, livable wage, and that no child labor or unsafe workplace practices were used. I’ve written several times about the importance of buying fair trade to provide safe, meaningful employment for people (I’ve linked to one of those posts, but to read more about it, use the little search window to find all of my articles on fair trade, or check out the FSF Pinterest boards), but let’s be honest, fair trade isn’t cheap. I mean, that’s the idea, of course, but in a world where we’re used to $10 tee shirts from Old Navy, there can be some sticker shock!

So lets say we decide to stop being part of the problem and get off this crazy cycle. What can we do without going broke?

  1. The first step, if fair trade is out of your budget, is to evaluate if you really NEED another shirt, pair of earrings, etc., or if it’s just a want. If we can really be honest with ourselves, that hard truth alone will stop us from about half of the purchases we make (or is that just me…).
  2. Cotton is recyclable: If you have a clothing item that has reached the end of its life, read the label. Synthetics and blends can be reused as dust rags, but 100% cotton can be recycled. Most cities have single-sort recycling bins, and cotton can be tossed out with your milk jugs and soda cans.
  3. When you really do need to buy something, or when the itch for some retail therapy gets particularly bad, the next best thing to fair trade is second-hand. Purchasing second-hand keeps textiles out of landfills, and satisfies our needs without contributing any more of our hard-earned money to the un-fair trade cycle.

Here are some of my favorite second-hand shops and sites. If you want to find second-hand clothing and accessories near you, a quick internet search for “consignment shops near me” or “used clothing near me” should reveal what’s available in your area.

  1. Donation sites like the Goodwill, Savers, or Salvation Army stores. These are also great places to donate gently-used goods. You can find anything from nice designer brands to crazy, off-the-wall fashions. My son and I have a tradition of going to the local Goodwill every summer when he finds out what color team he will be on at camp. For a couple dollars each, we can get him a week’s worth of tee shirts in his team color, the stranger the better! After camp he uses the shirts for work projects and things, and some of them even make it into his regular rotation. This year he did some of his back-to-school shopping at Savers and Goodwill, too. He was able to stretch his back-to-school budget a lot further!
  2. Ragstock: Ragstock is a Minnesota-based company with stores around the upper-Midwest area where they buy and sell vintage and recycled clothing. They cater to a younger crowd, and are a great place to get unique, funky fashions.
  3. Once Upon a Child: Once Upon a Child is another upper-Midwest chain. They buy and sell gently-used clothing, equipment, toys, and shoes for babies and children. When my son was young, I loved shopping there for the things kids outgrow before they wear them out, especially dressy clothing. They’re part of the same company as Play it Again Sports (used sporting equipment), Plato’s Closet (clothing for teens/young adults), and Style Encore (clothing and accessories for women).
  4. Thred Up: If shopping online is more your thing, Thred Up is the best! They buy and sell better brands of clothing, like Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, and Calvin Klein. They even have a luxury tab where you can find designer brands, gently used and deeply discounted. I have both bought and sold from Thred Up many times and have been happy. They even offer returns if you get something and it doesn’t look or fit like you expected. (The hyperlink for Thred Up will take you to a referral page. If you sign up on their site, you and I each get a $10 credit. Just so you know.)
  5. The Real Real: If designer brands are more your speed, then The Real Real is for you! They sell vintage men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories (hello designer handbags!), as well as artwork and home accents that are all designer brands, certified authentic, and deeply discounted because they’re used. I have bought and sold with them once, and was very happy with my experience. (The link on this one is also a referral link)

That should give you a good start shopping for gently used goods! If you know of other shops and sites, leave them in the comments! Thanks!

 

Catching Up

Karah, , , ,

Forgive me, readers, for I have sinned. Though I haven’t had technical difficulties, haven’t been sick or injured, and haven’t been busy (well, no more than usual), I just stopped blogging. For a few weeks I felt bad about it, but the longer I went between posts, the easier it got to let it slide. But if you’ll bear with me, I’d like to start up again. Since it’s been four months since my last post, I thought I’d start with a quickie to get us caught up with each other. So grab a cup of coffee and pretend we’re old friends catching up after months of saying “we should get together sometime” (or am I the only one who has to have that conversation six times before I actually get together with people?)

First of all, I am completely and totally healed up from last year’s knee surgery. And even better, my recovery and physical therapy were the catalysts I needed to start a regular exercise routine and to make some positive changes to my eating habits. I’m down 30 pounds, and for the first time I can remember, I actually accomplished my weight-related New Year’s resolution.

Speaking of resolutions, the other things I focused on in 2017 were committing to buying only Fair Trade clothing, shoes, and accessories for myself, and living out my word of the year, honor, by finding ways to serve, encourage, and love on others. If we’re grading this pass/fail, I’d say I passed on the honor goal, but failed on the Fair Trade resolution. I believe I made it 5-6 months before the need for things I couldn’t find Fair Trade tripped me up. And, typical Karah, when I slipped, I jumped right off the plan and gave up. But I think it’s a worthy goal, so I re-upped for 2018. Expect to see posts in the near future about Fair Trade and second-hand retailers. Mixing weight loss with ethical shopping is going to be an interesting challenge!

My word for 2018 is “warrior.” When I first started to feel attracted to this word, I was afraid. I still am, actually. I figure that God calls up warriors when there is a battle to fight, and I don’t really want to get into any battles, thank you very much. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that we all face battles all the time. Each of us has to chose if we are going to be a warrior or a victim.

So here are the things I jotted down:
2018 – My word is “warrior”
I’m done wishing, done hoping
I’m ready to fight.
– Learn what the Bible says about being a “warrior.”
– Learn to take orders: to go when called, to act when called upon, to shut up and obey.
– Do no harm, but take no *crap*
– Put on the armor of God
– Stand up and Fight!

If that doesn’t fill you with a mixture of passion and terror, then you need more coffee!

So I hope you’re up for another year of inspiration and information sprinkled liberally with faith and humor. As always, I welcome comments, questions, and ideas of things I can research for us. Leave comments here in the blog, or on the Food Shelf Friday Facebook page. Thank you and welcome back!

When the Pieces Don’t Fit

Faith, inspiration, personal growth, ,

We have been watching the news out of Puerto Rico with heavy hearts this week. It’s hard to believe that the same beautiful, sunny places Jacob visited in June are now devastated. I haven’t heard anything about the camp where they worked or the people they met on their trip. I understand communication is pretty limited. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the island.

.

In the closet of my home office, I have a stash of jigsaw puzzles. Most of them are Americana-style artwork by Charles Wysocki, but I also have a Vikings stadium cartoon picture, album covers from the 1970s, and (my favorite) propaganda posters from WWII. One of my favorite ways to spend a Sunday is to turn on a football game and pick away at a jigsaw puzzle.

A while back, I was working on my favorite puzzle, again, and there was one little hole in an otherwise completed section. I was nearing the end, so I perused the remaining pieces and saw exactly what I was looking for. The colors and shape looked just right, but no matter how I turned the piece, it just didn’t fit. In my eyes it was so obvious that it was the right piece, but it just wasn’t. I had to set it aside and keep looking, trusting that the right piece was out there, and that this piece had a different space to fill. 

It dawned on me that this is just like God’s will for our lives. We see what we think is right and we try to jam it in, even though it doesn’t really fit. But that thing, be it a relationship, job, house, or whatever we’re looking for, has its own place to fit, and there may be a different piece, a right piece, for your life. You just have to trust that the God who gave you all the pieces knows which one really fits. 

I once applied for a job that I thought was absolutely perfect for me. It was close to home, great hours, with an organization I care for deeply. I sent in my resume, and quickly received an email asking me to do a phone interview. That went well, and I was invited to do an in-person interview as well. I was so confidant that my skills and their needs were a fit that I wasn’t even nervous going into the interview. A week later, I got an email thanking me for my time and letting me know that they hired someone else. I was shocked. I thought the job and I were a perfect fit for one another – the colors and shapes were all right, but it just didn’t fall into place.

God has never let me down. I didn’t get that job, but I have a job that I enjoy – one that utilizes my education. And I’m sure He hasn’t let that organization down either. I have no doubt that He provided for them just the right person to fill that role and advance their mission. I believe that because I trust the puzzle maker. He puts the pieces into place even when it doesn’t look like we expect!

Isaiah 55:8-9 says “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'”
Psalm 139:16 says, “…all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

What stories do you have of God putting things together in His perfect timing? Share in the comments! “It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.” (Daniel 4:2)

Responding to Disaster

Charity Review, Disaster Relief, Resources, Service Projects, , , ,

The last couple weeks have been heavy, with constant news stories of hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires ravaging parts of the world. Countless lives have been altered by these natural disasters, and millions are in need of emergency aid. So for those of us not directly affected by the crises, what can we do to help?

Of course, the first thing I’m going to suggest is prayer. We serve an all-powerful God. He is not surprised by these disasters. He cares deeply, and his heart is broken for those who are suffering. He welcomes a dialog with us about our needs and our feelings. Prayer changes things, and it changes us. Spend some time talking to God about these crises and the many people who are in need of a miracle right now.

Secondly, don’t start sending boxes of junk to the disaster areas. Every time a catastrophe like this happens, people gather boxes of useless junk and ship them off to the disaster area. Their hearts are in the right place, but overwhelmed locals end up with warehouses full of stuff that needs to be sorted and cleaned before it can be distributed, and they have to dispose of landfills full of stuff that no one needs. You would be better off holding a garage sale and sending your profits to a reputable non-profit organization.

The best thing you can do (other than praying), is to give to a reputable non-profit organization providing disaster relief in the area. They have trained, dedicated staff who deliver things like clean water, medical supplies, and food where it’s needed most. Be careful when you select your non-profit. Some of the big guys that get a lot of publicity have tremendously high overhead, and only a fraction of your donation ever makes it to the disaster victims. Use a website like Charity Navigator or GuideStar to help you find an organization that keeps their overhead low and uses best practices of accountability.

Finally, think local. If you have friends or family members dealing with the tragedy, ask them what they need. I was surprised last week to find out that in the wake of Hurricane Harvey there is a need for bug spray in parts of Texas. I never would have thought of that. They are far enough into the cleanup effort that most of them are getting mail service again, so Amazon can get supplies to your loved ones in just a couple days.

And on the topic of thinking locally, don’t forget the small charities and churches local to the area in crisis. Donating funds to local churches or local food banks will put your dollars to work in the local community quickly.

Some links:

GuideStar

Charity Navigator

Convoy of Hope – Convoy is my charity of choice for giving to the hurricane relief effort. I’ve blogged about them before. Check out my previous posts here and here.

Food Bank Locator

10 Blogs I Follow

Blogs, Resources

Are you looking for more information, stories from the field, or news about the battle against hunger? Do you want to save money on the things you buy for your family? Would you like to encourage your faith? Here are some of the blogs I read – maybe you’ll find something to love!

10. Pocket Your Dollars – This is the first blog I ever followed, and I didn’t realize it was a blog because back then I thought blogs were a big ego thing where people post pictures and talk about what their kids have been up to – like some kind of published diary. But I followed PYD, because Carrie is literally handing out useful information. This site lists the sale prices at grocery stores (specifically she covers the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area, but many of the stores are national chains), and which recent coupons (from newspaper inserts and online sources) can be combined with the sales to get rock bottom prices on groceries, personal hygiene items, and school supplies. She also has a weekly list of freebies and other great deals you don’t want to miss!

9. Living Well, Spending Less – Staying in the money-saving theme, LWSL is a blog I mostly follow via Facebook. They offer great organization and money-managing strategies, and practical advice. They also sell super cute organization items like planners, desk sets, etc., but the sales portion is not overwhelming at all.

8. Kiva blog – I’ve blogged about Kiva before – they’re the site I use to make microfinance loans. Well recently I found out that their organization also has a blog. On their blog they have reports from the field, news about the microfinance niche of the global economy, and follow-up stories about the change that microfinance is making in lives around the world.

7. Compassion blog – Compassion is another organization that I have blogged about before. I sponsor a little boy in Burkina Faso, so I get the organization’s emails and follow them on Facebook. That’s how I became familiar with their blog. To be honest, I don’t read it all the time. But once a year, Compassion takes a group of bloggers on a missions trip somewhere in the world, and I read those faithfully! The Compassion bloggers visit the homes and families of children in the program, and they visit the Compassion centers where those kids are educated, fed, and cared for. If the bloggers on the trip are sponsors in the country, Compassion arranges for them to meet their sponsored child in person. How cool is that?!

(Side note: Compassion will help you arrange a meeting with your sponsored child if you’re traveling to their area. It’s on my bucket list, and I’m super excited for a friend of mine who will be meeting two of her Compassion kids this fall!)

6. The Feed (Feed My Starving Children) – Unless you’re new to Food Shelf Friday, you know I LOVE Feed My Starving Children. I have blogged about it, attended their events, and I participate in their book club. I also subscribe to their blog, The Feed. They share stories from the field, highlight inspiring donor/volunteer stories, share resources, and keep you up to date about FMSC events.

5. Bridging the Gap – OK, full disclosure warning. FSF isn’t my only blogging outlet. I’m also a contributor at Bridging the Gap, the Minnesota Assemblies of God women’s ministry blog. But this isn’t about my occasional contributions. My fellow contributors are amazing writers. Some of them are (or soon will be!) published authors. They are godly ladies of all ages and life stages who want to share with you the wisdom they glean along the way. Topics range from humor to the heavy stuff, all wrapped up in the faith we share.

4. Sherburne History Center – While I’m doing shameless plugs… Of course, I also read the blog of the history museum where I work. My boss writes our blog, and it’s full of fun little things our volunteers find in old newspapers, great stories of local interest, and broader historical coverage.

3. No Kid Hungry – Share our Strength/No Kid Hungry is an advocacy group that helps connect hungry kids with resources as well as offering hunger education to the public. They are a great resource for information on legislation, school lunch programs, etc. I follow their blog because I love their summer Youth Ambassador program. In the program they put teenagers to work in the field, then the teens blog about their experiences. It’s really interesting, and their enthusiasm is contagious!

2. All Your Heart Ministries – A few years ago, my friends Kelli and Tracy founded an organization called All Your Heart Ministries. Since then a few more friends have joined their effort, and they have a great organization! Their website, Facebook, and blog are soothing, encouraging, and do a great job walking the line between being gritty-real and maintaining a hopeful and faith-filled mindset. Also, they talk about Bible journaling, which I love!

1. We Are THAT Family – This is another blog I follow mainly through Facebook. Kristen Welch and her family are dedicated to making the world a better place, and they invite us all along on their adventures. The Welch family founded Mercy House Global, and it’s offshoot, Fair Trade Friday. I am a monthly subscription box member at Fair Trade Friday, and I LOVE getting my monthly box of fair trade goodies and learning about new retailers I can support. Kristen’s blog is inspirational, encouraging, and really beautiful.

So those are ten of the blogs I read! There are others, this could have been a MUCH bigger list, but I thought I’d pick some favorites and some variety, and give you some new things to check out.

Do you blog? Do you have a favorite blog you like to read? Share in the comments so we can check it out!