Did you know that household waste increases by more than 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, according to Stanford University Waste Reduction? Shopping bags, wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons, to the gifts given and the ones returned, contribute to millions and millions of trash entering landfills each week during the holidays. But here’s how you […]
Employee Spotlight: Diane Jensen – Store Manager, Bloomington Arc’s Value Village Do you know Diane? Her core strengths are achiever, responsibility, input, learner and intellectual but you probably recognize her from her friendly smile and big hugs! Before joining our team, Diane was a high school teacher, antique dealer and clean water / environmental activist […]
Guest Blogger Sarah Thelen: I’ve been sewing since I was in third grade. The very first thing I ever made was a pink and yellow tropical printed pillowcase and I still use it every night. My mom used to be a Home Economics teacher and was in 4-H, so naturally I grew up in 4-H. […]
What are you thankful this year? I enjoyed four relaxing days off this Thanksgiving and had some time to reflect on everything that I am grateful for. Turns out it it’s not things, but people that bring me the most joy and gratitude. On that list, I am very grateful for my co-worker Duane! A […]
Growing up in a very small town in northern Canada, a majority of our clothes came from the Sears catalogue. If you wanted something other than Sears couture, you had to make it yourself or drive four hours to the closest city. Fortunately, I came from long line of extremely talented knitters, sewers, and crafters. […]
By Annette Hanley, Guest Blogger The t-shirt is a staple of the American wardrobe. Each tells a story of where we have been, where we are today and where we are going. Millions are printed every day, each promoting a different cause, event or idea. But things change and another t-shirt is printed. I take […]
We’ve all been there, sifting through our closets thinking “what in the world am I going to wear?!” You pick up the latest fashion magazines to browse the spring styles, it happens to be the denim issue. Before you know it, you’re contemplating going to the mall, thinking about all of the new styles and […]
Are your dining room chairs stained, dirty and outdated? Do your chairs look like they were attacked by a 3 year old with Koolaid and finger paint? Well here is the perfect DIY solution that is both fast and easy. This 5-minute life hack will not only upgrade your dining experience, but will help make […]
Kathie Olson, Arc’s Value Village Thrift & Donation Center Richfield. I never intended to manage a thrift store. That really wasn’t what I was shooting for. I mean, I always loved working in fine retail as a hobby for something fun to do when I needed some extra cash or was between “real” jobs, but […]
By Sam Graves, Intern We all know we should reuse items, but do we know why? How do we know if something is “good” enough to be reused? In advance of National Reuse Day October 20, here are a few tips on how you can tell if something is worth reusing, why reusing is important […]