Treasures by Allie

Treasures by Allie - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

The best “treasures” in life cannot be bought. It’s that special memory or that unparalleled feeling that is so unforgettable that only you have a unique memory of it. For me, this was obvious when I first started volunteering at Life’s Treasures Thrift Shop on the Medina Square. It takes over fifty volunteers to manage the store, not to mention the community for contributing their donations. All of the profit raised by the store is then donated directly to the Medina Hospice, where the majority of the money helps families who are unable to afford the high rates of hospice care for their loved ones. Helping for a few years now has taught me so many lessons. What I admire the most about volunteering is seeing, and giving my time and energy to others with the expectation of nothing in return.
It’s quite ironic for me to compare my childhood to the beginning of adulthood. As a kid, my absolute favorite thing was to “play store.” Now as a young adult, I can put my ideas to work at Life’s Treasures and turn it into a useful, good cause.
I remember the first day I volunteered a couple of years ago; I must have spent at least two or three hours organizing the messiest, least organized, strangest room there is … the tool room. Computer parts tangled on the shelf, worn leather suitcases stacked in the corner, heavy sports equipment scattered about. Organizing that closet-sized room was the only job I did that first day, but every week I would return and learn a new job.
In no time, I learned how to price donations, organize and straighten shelves, dress mannequins, set up displays, and work the cash register. One of my favorite jobs is to work the cash register for the special half-off sale every month. I am really able to connect and gain feedback from customers about how much the store has impacted them personally.
Life’s Treasures was outgrowing its original store and luckily was able to expand into the vacant space next door. For one week, the store closed. The three managers, plus an army of volunteers, took over and completely overhauled the store. I was assigned the daunting job of the kid's section, mostly due to the fact that I was the one who spent the most time working in that section on a weekly basis. I remember when I first walked in, the kid's section changed to completely opposite ends of the “new” store. I walked with Stephanie through the dark colored plastic tarp that hung over the doorway. A mountain of cars, dolls, books, stuffed animals, plastic toys, and tons games were piled on the floor, ready to be sorted and put away in its’ new home. Only a few days later, the kid's section was done, and I was able to help out with other jobs around the store. The response from customers was overwhelmingly positive. Seeing the reactions from so many kids about the new toy room was priceless. All of the hard work during that week paid off and has really helped the store grow in so many ways that I had never expected.
I learned more than I could have imagined in my few years at Life’s Treasures. Without the time volunteering, I couldn’t have learned so many new skills, like community interactions and running a business. Not only that, there is an indescribable feeling you get when you are helping out of the goodness of your heart. As a young adult, I think that volunteering has brought out qualities in me that many more people could benefit from. Through my journey, I have found that we can make a greater difference working together, rather than alone. I am so grateful to have found this opportunity where I can help make a difference in the community and bring a smile to a customer, all while doing something I love!