By: Kyra Dorsey
The ReTail’s Thrift store sign stands along the roadside on North College Street in Statesboro. As the sign stands idle, the volunteers sorted the items and prepared the inside of the shop.
Kristy Garrigus unlocks the supply truck to unload the store's items. Garrigus is in charge of the store and drove the truck over from one of their donation locations and then took it back after.
Angie Joyner puts clothes on one of the sale racks. There were 20 plus bins of clothing in the truck and clothes that had been brought in directly to the store that had to be separated as well.
A Mario robe hangs on the incomplete sale rack. “I may have to take this for my grandson,” Joyner said after she put the robe on the rack. “He really likes this little guy (Mario).”
Lori Daniel and Melissa Bennet put out books on one of the tables. The volunteers had around 30 donated books to put on display.
Joyner and Bennet, sort through more clothes as the bins get taken off the truck. The store opened at 10:00 a.m., so before they unlocked the doors, all of the outside clothing racks must be checked and put out properly.
Clothing racks sit inside of the store. ReTail’s has four rooms lined with racks that contained clothes that cost $10 or less.
Baby bibs hang on a rack near the entrance. The volunteers got 50 bibs donated that week and the others are kept in inventory in the back of the shop.
Household items catch some sunlight on a shelf. While there were several volunteers outside sorting clothing and other items, at least two to three volunteers stayed inside and sorted items.
Daniel writes welcome notes on the white board for the day. Before they opened, the other volunteers kindly put her up to it because she had the best handwriting in their eyes.
Bethanne Roberts (left) sets her items on the counter while Garrigus (left) and Daniel (right) try to figure out the problems with the register. “We use the Shopify retail system so we can keep track of inventory, but sometimes it's so finicky,” Garrigus said.
Back outside, the clothing racks only get fuller as the day goes on. By around 2:00 p.m., the volunteers had about 25% of the clothing donations sorted through.
The mid-day rush of customers begins with cars filling the parking lot. The volunteers still sorted through the clothes but they also helped customers when needed.
Brenda Kepler searches for socks for her granddaughter as the volunteers continue to fold and hang up clothes. The volunteers ended up convincing her to buy at least three pairs because they insisted that variety was essential to every wardrobe.
Joyner talks to Bennet about their game plan to sort the rest of the clothes. George Van Besien, on the other hand, just kept folding clothes because his goal was to get through half of the clothes by 5:00 p.m.
Van Besien points to the other volunteers in toward some bottled water. Garrigus provided lunch and water for all of the volunteers.
The donated books sit on a table outside. Some of the volunteers brought their own items to donate and Bennet brought around 15 during this shift.
The volunteers sort through the final batch of clothing while most customers look through the clothes. “It only took us around four hours to sort through everything, it usually takes us around six,” Joyner said.
Excess hangers lie in a laundry bin. The bin was completely full at the start of the shift.
The door of the ReTail’s shop closes as the clock strikes 5:00 p.m. The same volunteers are likely to be back each Saturday to do it all over again.
