Once again, the time of community, gatherings, cherishing people in your life, gift giving, and overall holiday magic has rolled around. While December should be a joyous time full of cheer, it has morphed into a time for overconsumption and consumerism in recent decades. This holiday season, you can choose to support local thrift stores with mission and purpose while also sparing your bank account!
Buying your holiday gifts from Goodwill of Central Iowa supports our mission of making purposeful employment possible for all in your own local communities, while also promoting sustainability in a time where consumerism runs rampant. Many items can easily get repurposed but often end up in a landfill. Shopping local, saving money, reducing your carbon footprint, and finding unique one-of-a-kind gifts that surely will make a buzz this holiday season and give you the satisfaction of being the best gift-giver ever, what’s not to like? Unlike a big-box retailer or mall where you have memorized every single aisle and store to see items you have seen countless of times before, shopping in a thrift store offers unparalleled thrill and verity and the most unique, thoughful finds for the people you cherish the most in life, all while supporting incredible programs that give back to the community. Head to your local Goodwill this holiday season to shop with purpose for the benefit of yourself, your loved ones, and the environment!
Thrift stores are an absolute treasure trove for unique one-of-a-kind home decor pieces and everyone in your life has a precious space that conveys their personality and interests. Whether it’s a vibrant painting with a vintage frame for the art lover, a record player for a music enthusiast, a candle holder for the mood-setter, a captivating lamp for the ambiance seeker or general decor trinkets of any kind for the interior designer, there’s no place to find items you couldn’t even imagine gifting to your loved ones than Goodwill of Central Iowa. Let your imagination run wild, get creative, and find impactful gifts that will leave a mark in everyone’s home!
Globally each year, approximately 90+ million tons of clothing end up in landfills. This holiday season, instead of batteling the crowds in big retail stores to hunt down mediocre deals that don’t have your best interest in mind and only contribute to the rise of fast fashion practices that are far from sustainable, thrift your clothing gifts! Shopping at Goodwill of Central Iowa creates local impact by benefiting programs that support your local communities and allows you to find great deals on brands that may not be as easily accessible elsewhere. Consider also shopping at ShopGoodwill.com for an even wider selection of popular name brands from the comfort and convenience of your own home.
Did you know you can check off all the toys on your holiday lists this year at a thrift store for a fraction of the cost elsewhere and often, in a brand-new condition? Not only is thrifting toys cost effective, especially for younger children who have no specific preferences yet, it is also a great way to show them the wonders of sustainable practices at a young age. A thrifted toy will encourage them to donate items they may have outgrown and allow them to feel the rewards of sharing something that has served a purpose and brought them joy, with other kids elsewhere in their community. Celebrating the spirit of giving with your little ones while helping them acquire new and exciting toys that have charm, heart, and a lot of purpose, all on a budget! Very much a win-win situation.
Giving the gift of knowledge and imagination for the avid readers in your life is easier than ever thanks to thrift stores this holiday season! Many people love the idea of collecting books and building their own home libraries, and you don’t need to break the bank to do that! Very few things are more satisfying than walking out of a thrift store with a giant stack of books that are full of character, personality and emotions of all who read them before. A Thrift store is also a great place to find enriching children’s books of all kinds that will surely pique the interest of any curious children in your life. Whether you have a clear idea of the desired genres and authors to gift or if you’re browsing casually hoping for a hidden treasure, no better place to make the book worm in your life happy this holiday season than Goodwill of Central Iowa!
The kitchenwares section in your local thrift store can house some of the most incredibly unique and versatile items you can gift this holiday seasons. No better place to find useful items such as plates, glassware, mugs, kitchen towels, or even entire sets of varied inclusions that will help anyone revamp their entire kitchen and dining space on a budget. Glassware is said to take upwards of 1 million years to decompose in a landfill while also being one of those rare items that can be infinitely recycled without any compromise to quality. So, when you choose to thrift any glass items… you’re making decisions that promote sustainability while simultaneously giving useful and functional gifts that will surely be a hit this holiday season!
This holiday season, expand your horizons and visit your local Goodwill of Central Iowa for all your gifting needs! Shop, save money, and support local programs that make actual difference in the community and make purposeful employment possbile for all.
