Rainbow Thrift Shoppe Volunteer Spotlight: Debbie Garcia

Meet Debbie Garcia - Rainbow Thrift Shoppe Volunteer

How long have you been volunteering with Rainbow and at the Thrift Shoppe?

• I have been a volunteer with Rainbow Thrift Shoppe since the first day. I was so overwhelmed with all the community support with the donations that first day. I volunteer 2 days per week for a total of 7 hours per week.

What initially inspired you to volunteer with Rainbow?

• My mom was in hospice with Rainbow until she passed away. While she was still mobile, she loved going to thrift stores. We probably would go to thrift stores 3-4 times a week. When Rainbow opened a thrift store here in Fort Atkinson, I thought this was the perfect opportunity for me to give back to the community while helping hospice.

What tasks do you typically help with when you're volunteering?

• While volunteering, I am in charge of toys, puzzles, hats, scarves, mittens, shoes, purses and bags. When toys and puzzles come in, I make sure toys work and all puzzles have the correct number of pieces. We have volunteers, staff, and sometimes Opportunities, Inc. count the number of puzzle pieces. I also take a lot of them home to put together to make sure they are complete. I also check items of clothing and purses to make sure there are no rips or stains. I also price these items and put them on the floor for customers.

What is the most rewarding part of your volunteer role?

• The most rewarding part of my role is getting to talk to those who donate. Some will share about donating because a loved one passed away, or someone is moving. I want them to feel that what they donate is important.

How does knowing that your work here directly supports our local hospice and palliative care programs make you feel?

• Volunteering at the thrift store makes me feel good to know that the profits are helping to support the community in a variety of ways. I hope our customers feel the same.

For many in the community, hospice and palliative care are deeply personal. Does this cause have a personal significance to you?

• When my mom resided at Reena Senior Living in Fort, many of the residents were receiving hospice care. I could see how the residents enjoyed each visit and how they were treated with such care and dignity. I felt blessed to know that hospice nurses and the team worked hard to make sure my mom always had what she needed and helped her to be comfortable.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering volunteering here?

• While accepting donations, many will comment on the amount of items we have and ask if something special is needed. I always say we need more volunteers. We have a great team of volunteers but could use many more. I love that the time you volunteer could be flexible if needed. You can volunteer for a few hours one day or several days. There are a number of ways you could help in the store.

Is there anything else you’d like the community to know about the Thrift Shoppe?

• I know we are just a year old, but still many people don’t know about the thrift shoppe. Please share with others that we are here to support the community.