Thrift Store Holiday Shopping Ideas

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It’s unfortunate that many of us associate the holidays with spending exorbitant amounts on new gifts, décor and just a ton of STUFF leading to a more stressful season than we enjoyed as kids. But with a little creativity—and by shopping at the thrift store—you can have all the things for your dream holiday season without going broke before the new year! Here are some ideas to get you started…

Name Brand Clothes:
Sister Carmen Thrift Store only puts clothing out on the floor if it is in good, clean condition. We often receive high-end quality items including name brand clothing and handbags, winter coats and jackets, cashmere and wool sweaters, NFL and other sportswear, quality office attire including suit jackets, and special occasion dresses—sometimes even bridal dresses! Beautiful scarves are available for only $1. All of these items can set you back hundreds of dollars at a retail store, but they’re a steal at the thrift store! Found a super good deal, but not your size? Buy it for a friend!

Children’s Gifts and Clothes:
We’ve probably all heard the phrase “you’ll just grow out of it in a month!” Now you can get your child that super cute NFL jersey and it won’t matter that they’ll grow out of it for $5! And we know kids won’t play with all of the toys they put on their Christmas list, so sometimes it doesn’t feel worth it, but if you buy inexpensive items at the thrift store then you can go ahead and fill the space under the tree without feeling guilty. Or maybe that will save you enough for an extra special gift down the road—like college. Speaking of which…

Books:
We have plenty of children’s and adult books! This is definitely the number 1 quarantine gift this year to keep everyone busy indoors. We also carry a ton of cookbooks, a great holiday gift that gives us all something new to try this season. Buy a book for each family member based on their unique interests!

Vintage Jewelry:
Beautiful. Unique. Affordable. What else could you ask for in a gift? Sister Carmen often receives some VERY nice high end jewelry including gold, sterling silver, and gemstones. You never know what you might find! Plus, vintage costume jewelry is very IN right now. A gorgeous set of turquoise earrings—that you only spent a few dollars on—would make a great stocking stuffer!

Arts and Crafts:
We all have some extra time on our hands this year. Why not create something by hand to make your gift even more heartfelt? Sometimes just cleaning, painting, or reupholstering a piece will breath fresh life into it. Check out our home décor and furniture and see if you can find the potential to turn something into a treasure!

Baking:
Speaking of homemade… what’s better than the gift of tasty treats like peanut brittle, toffee, fudge, or cookies?! You don’t need to be Martha Stewart or spend what she does on baking supplies to make some delicious homemade treats. If you don’t have the equipment you need, but want to try your hand at something new, you can buy inexpensive baking and cookware at the thrift store. We even have decorative serving platter and holiday themed tins for gift giving. Looking a little spotty? Try some Bartender’s Friend and make a set of pots and pans shine like new! Pair with one of the cooking or baking books for a perfect combo-gift.

Holiday Decorations:
Household décor can be expensive—especially if you’re changing it out every season. Buy a clear vase and fill it with small colored ornaments for a centerpiece. We have candles galore. There are even trees, wreaths, and outdoor holiday items like lawn ornaments and lights, which can be so expensive if you buy them new! Pre-owned Christmas décor almost never looks “used” since people only put it on display once a year anyway.

Prescheduled Gifts to Sister Carmen for Colorado Gives Day will be Matched up to $10,000!

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Thanks to St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, all prescheduled gifts to Sister Carmen for Colorado Gives Day will be matched up to $10,000! Starting November 1st, visit ColoradoGives.org/SisterCarmen to preschedule your gift.

Colorado Gives Day is very important to Sister Carmen—last year, we raised over $100,000! This statewide day of giving helps us support thousands of families with critical services such as food and financial assistance.

Every donation made on Tuesday, December 8th for Colorado Gives Day (or prescheduled beginning November 1st) is boosted by the $1 Million Incentive Fund, which increases the value of every dollar. For example, if a nonprofit receives 10% of total donations made on CO Gives Day, they receive 10% of the incentive fund. Sister Carmen Community Center usually receives about $2,500 – 4,000 from this fund. Gifts only count towards Colorado Gives Day if they are made through our online portal at ColoradoGives.org/SisterCarmen!

Many families in our community are struggling with their utility bills

SCCC Experiences a 40% Decrease in Utilities Funding

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Utility bill assistance is one of the many core resources Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC) provides to the community, including assistance with water, heat, and electricity bills. SCCC receives this funding through Energy Outreach Colorado, who unfortunately experienced a funding cut of their own this year and are unable to provide their usual level of support.

Through this unfortunate situation, Sister Carmen received a 40% decrease in funding for participant utilities from over $80,000 to only $50,000 per year. With the fall weather already bringing cooler days, many of your neighbors may not be able to heat their homes this winter.

During the COVID-19 crisis, utility companies like Xcel Energy paused billing, late fees, and disconnect notices, but have resumed normal services again. Some participants who paused payments during the earlier waves of COVID-19 are now faced with large utility bills—some over $2,000—which can take a significant toll on families already struggling to get by.

There is some relief—Xcel can help with flexible payment plans, and SCCC also connects participants to resources like the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). LEAP is a statewide program that provides assistance for heating costs during the winter months (November – April). For many, however, this simply isn’t enough; utility expenses have increased with so many people spending more time at home during the pandemic. Some families may not qualify, and the full cost of the utility bill isn’t covered by the program.

Sister Carmen is here to help, and in order to serve our community, we need you. Reductions in funding mean we rely on our individual donors now more than ever. You can make a difference today by donating securely online at ColoradoGives.org/sistercarmen.

Matching gifts are an easy way to support Sister Carmen

GIVING SMART: DOES YOUR COMPANY HAVE A WORKPLACE GIVING PROGRAM?

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If you volunteer or donate to Sister Carmen Community Center, your time and dollars may be able to go even further by connecting Sister Carmen to your workplace! Many companies are interested in giving back to their communities, especially where their employees live, work, and volunteer. If your employer has a Give Back program of any kind (or you think they should start one!), likely you can find out more by speaking to your Human Resources department. Contact kristen@sistercarmen.org for more information on our end.

Some examples of Workplace Giving programs include:

  • Grant Opportunity: some companies only offer grants to nonprofits if one of their employees donates or volunteers there. Help get us connected!
  • Volunteer Match: the company donates money for every hour employees spend volunteering. So come volunteer yourself or bring the whole team!
  • Corporate Match: the company will match dollar for dollar what employees donate to an organization themselves. You give twice as much!
  • Food Drive: organize a food drive with your coworkers!

Like Tea and Water: One Family’s Journey to the United States

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“As a refugee coming to the United States, I didn’t want to be like oil and water. I want to integrate completely, like tea and water.” – Hamid Jounou

Sister Carmen Community Center is a local organization that works to help those in need—anyone who considers East Boulder County their home—without discrimination. We support people with a wide variety of backgrounds—sometimes with a history and story that is very different from our own—but, in other ways, may be all too familiar.

Meet the Jounou family: mother Hanifa (age 62); her sister, Aisha (54); Hanifa’s daughters Rudi (32) and Bana (25); and her sons Hamid (30) and Ussef (24). In 2013, the family fled war-torn Syria to become refugees in Lebanon. Leaving was the last thing that Hanifa wanted to do.

“In the beginning, I refused to leave. It was my home—my country. I was going to wait for the war to end.” – Hanifa

Hanifa’s younger children evacuated with the United Nations for safety, leaving only her son, Hamid, to stay with her. They held out as long as they dared—until there was no electricity, gas, or running water. They burned their belongings for warmth while shooting rampaged in the streets. Finally, having no other recourse, they left secretly in the middle of the night with only the clothes on their backs, so as to stay hidden from soldiers.

The next 6 years were spent in a refugee camp in Lebanon, where the family was known for their dedication to helping others. Most days were spent caring for their fellow refugees and volunteering with their church, Horizons International. Bana would greet new refugee families and help them get settled by providing clothes, household items, and other necessities.

Their hard work and empathy caught the eye of Kathy, one of our Lafayette neighbors, who went to Lebanon on a mission trip with Horizon in 2016. Despite the language barrier, she discovered a fondness for this amazing self-sacrificing family and offered to become their sponsor as immigrants to the United States.

Kathy often says to them, “You’ve lived your life serving other people. Now it’s your turn to let others help you.”

Immigrating to the U.S. wasn’t easy. The next few years were spent in a web of bureaucracy, forever waiting to hear if they’d been approved and tediously completing medical exams. Finally, the family moved to Lafayette in 2019 with Kathy as their host.

Many local resources were available for the family, including Sister Carmen Community Center. Zoya—a full-time Advocate at Sister Carmen and a fluent Arabic speaker—was able to connect with the family not only through language, but on a community and cultural level. She introduced them to others who spoke Arabic, connected them with free English classes at Intercambio, and continues to assist them in navigating the new country. Zoya also assists in translating for seemingly simple tasks, like getting a bank account or permit to drive, but ones that make a world of difference and allow them to be active members of society.

Within weeks of being in the United States, the 4 adult children all had jobs, permits to drive, and were learning English. Rudi works with Horizon in Boulder, Ussef at Flatirons Community Church, and Hamid and Bana at King Soopers. Weekly, they carpool to their church in Aurora, the only Arabic-speaking church in the area.

The Jounous are looking towards the future: Bana loves to bake and cook, and one day would like to open a restaurant, “or become a translator, like Zoya!” Ussef wants to go into movie production and tell people about his story. Hamid wishes to become a pastor. Rudi wants to focus on her English and do any job that involves helping people.

When asked why they wanted to share their story they gave two reasons: “We want to encourage other refugees, let them know that America is still a land of opportunity, that people are nice and welcoming. And we want to make a good example of what refugees can be: hard working, learning English, and striving for a better life here.” -Hamid

Over the coming months, many of us will enjoy visits from friends and family. We’ll welcome them into our warm home and offer them a meal at our table. As we do, let us not forget those who are still trying to make a home of their own, picking up the pieces of one that was left behind. In donating this holiday season, you will earn the gratitude of thousands of people directly benefiting from the efforts of Sister Carmen Community Center—those from near and far.

Please consider the profound impact your gift can make for each of these people in your community. You can make a difference today by donating securely online at ColoradoGives.org/SisterCarmen.

Holiday Turkeys

Food Drives at Sister Carmen: From Massive to Minuscule, They All Have a Monumental Impact

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We at Sister Carmen receive thousands of pounds of food donations from hundreds of different places; from local grocery stores and family farms, to small community gardens and restaurants. We collect, process, and distribute upwards of 200,000 pounds of food every month to families in Lafayette. Sister Carmen depends on the kindness of our community to support our efforts. And we don’t just rely on grocery stores and big companies, but many involved and motivated people from all over Boulder County!

Many of our donations are from private individuals and groups coming together to run food drives that help stock our shelves. These drives are not only crucial at bringing in literally tons of food every year, but they’re also a great way for people to get involved on a personal level. Running a food drive brings us together as a community and helps break down barriers.

So far this year, we have received over 150,000 pounds of food through food drives that are run by individuals and organizations.  These people see the important work Sister Carmen does for literally thousands of people a year, they understand the need that we have, and they work to fill the gap between what we receive from other sources and what we need to fill our shelves.

Often, food drives are run by larger organizations, and we will see a huge impact from groups of 100 or more. Techtonic, a local software-development company based in Boulder ran their very first food drive for us in October, a time of year that we tend to have low inventory in our food bank. They raised 514 pounds of food for our families! After such a successful drive, we hope they will do many more.

One of Techtonic’s employees mentioned their reasoning for running a drive this year, “Techtonic made the decision to hold a food drive because community is important to us and we wanted to be sure that we were taking care of ours. Our mission supports changing people’s lives and we felt it was important to give back and support the people in our area.”

Additionally, we also have schools and faith-based organizations that bring in large hauls. Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette holds a major food drive for us in the spring that brings in about half of all our food drive donations every year. Recently, Flatirons also started to run a Turkey Drive for us in November, where, this season, we collected about 200 turkeys and over $15,000 in cash and gift cards!

Likewise, Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette ran their annual drive this month and collected thousands of pounds of food to stock our shelves! Peak to Peak students compete, each school level against the other, all working together to bring in food and other items that our families might need. These drives are crucial to our ability to serve our families and are what help us get through many of the leaner times.

But we can’t forget about the smaller groups and the collective impact they make. Many of our food drives come are run by just a collection of friends or one committed person who puts in a lot of work to bring in an impressive haul. That’s what Keith Summers does every year when he runs his drive.

Keith works tirelessly to collect non-perishable food while also running an online GoFundMe to collect money that he shops with; this year he was able to donate over 700 pounds! This is really impactful because he asks what we need specifically at that moment and then goes and buys just that. He is able to bring in many high need items that we tend to run low on, such as cooking oil, flour, fruit, and even diapers.  Keith has a deep connection to giving, and his annual food drive is no different. He started his canned food drive 8 years ago, and it has evolved over time.

“My father’s birthday is in October and we used to do the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as balloon holders. My pops was a quiet guy around us but it was the one time of year he was himself. He passed in 2005 from a heart attack. I was feeling a bit bummed out, and I decided to do something in his memory. I posted an event on [Facebook] for people to clean out their pantries and I would collect their cans and drop them off at the Boulder Homeless Shelter. It felt great to see everyone’s support and even better to drop the supplies off knowing they would make an impact in people’s lives. I decided to switch the drop off to Sister Carmen to help make an impact in the community where I live. Each year, I try to think of ways to make it easy for people to donate and to create community around the holidays. I believe we are stronger by strength in numbers and that people want to support others. I just provide the forum to help bring us all together for a good cause. I honestly love seeing how people come together to make it all happen. People give me credit, but honestly, it is about all over us creating community and working together.”

At Sister Carmen Community Center, we are so lucky to have such committed and kind people in our county. Without the hard work of all our donors, we would not be successful in meeting the needs of our many families. If you would like to run a drive at your business, school, community center, or family gathering, we would love for you to join in our efforts! We are working hard every day to leverage the amazing community we are part of in Boulder County and get all those we can involved in what we do.

If you would like to start a food drive for Sister Carmen, it is easier than ever! You can now access our online registration on our Food-Drive page, we have a list of most needed-items that will change based on current needs, and we also have many resources in our toolkit to help your drive to be successful. We love to work with any size group and we appreciate everything from the largest, group efforts to the smallest, one-person hustles; they all have a huge impact on the lives of our families and bring us all closer together as humans!

Why Jenny Gives Back on Colorado Gives Day

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 “I’m paying forward and giving back to my community and enabling someone else to be able to make changes in their life.”  – Jenny

 

Colorado Gives Day

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Colorado Gives Day 2016 will be here before you know it! This year you can preschedule your online donation to Sister Carmen Community Center starting today!  Thank you to FirstBank and ColoradoGives.org for supporting this wonderful annual event which helps so many fantastic organizations in Colorado!