MAY 30 2025 THRIFT SHOPPING Homelessness takes everything from you. In February 2019, between a divorce and a car crash I lost nearly all of my belongings including my clothing. After finding refuge at the homeless shelter, I found myself with a pair of pants, a sweater, a few t-shirts, three pairs of socks and underwear, hiking boots and my leather jacket. These were the only clothes I had in the middle of a Michigan winter. In Michigan, proper clothing is essential to one’s health, as the comfortable, non-lethal weather only lasts or a few months in the early spring and late summer. Some people in Washtenaw County cannot afford good quality clothing. There are a few “free stores” for clothing if you know where to look. (Bridge Cafe and Regal Beagle in Ypsilanti have them, for example.) Otherwise, the best way is to visit one of over a dozen thrift/resale shops in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to dress for the weather — and to look and feel good because that’s important, too. Here’s a breakdown of some of the major thrift stores: GROUNDCOVER NEWS Hey, Groundcover, can we go thrift shopping? JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 given their proceeds to an incredible number of non-profit agencies and they have competitive grant programs which paid out $475,000 last year. AATS is run by its 326 volunteers. Among them is Mary-Lee W. who said, Ann Arbor PTO 2280 S. Industrial Hwy, Ann Arbor. Open Thurs.-Sun., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Located on bus route 6, the Ann Arbor PTO thrift shop fits the thrift shop template. Clothing starts at $3.25 with excellent color-tag-of-the-day discounts that can result in clothes as low as 50 cents; there is an equal mix of clothing and non-clothing items, including an excellent selection of crafts. Caitlyn Wackrow, assistant manager, says Ann Arbor PTO has a great customer-worker vibe. She says of a particular customer; “He commutes from Toledo to work in Ann Arbor, but stops in everyday, buys a little something and chit-chats with us. We love seeing him and all of our regulars who come in. They are a real bright spot in our day.” Ann Arbor PTO does not have a voucher program; however, all proceeds from sales go to aid the students of Ann Arbor Public Schools. Ann Arbor Thrift Shop 3500 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor. Closed Sunday and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Located on bus route 4, The Ann Arbor Thrift Shop is a community aid powerhouse. For 93 years they have “Our volunteers are all very dedicated to the community and the mission of our shop.” All proceeds go to organizations that provide emergency services such as housing, food and medical care. The list of organizations is stunning; it includes: A Brighter Way, Avalon Housing, Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw, Community Action Network, Corner Health Center, Dawn Farm, Food Gatherers, Friends in Deed, Home of New Vision, Alpha House, Jewish Family Services, Ozone House, Packard Health, Peace Neighborhood Center, Safe House Center, Shelter Association of Washtenaw, SOS Community Services and the St. Andrews Breakfast Program. They do take Washtenaw County vouchers and have their own “shopping card” program for the under- and unemployed. 7 Vendors Cindy Gere (left) and Wayne Sparks (right) display clothes at the Groundcover office free store. accepted donations of unwanted goods and then employed people to repair and prepare the items for sale. The profits of the sales became the wages for the employees. As they grew, they began focusing on people with disabilities, enabling people who had barriers to employment find meaningful work. Today, Goodwill offers many services that help a wide range of people who have different employment skills. For example, the micro-enterprise program “Art Works” provides studio space for artists and teaches them entrepreneurial skills. Other programs include: Youth Start which gives at-risk youth skills and support to carry into adulthood; vocational and employment training; literacy; industrial contracts which partner with organizations that will employ people with training under Goodwill; and other semi-skilled labor opportunities. “A hand up, not a hand out” is a phrase used to describe the mission of Goodwill. agencies. People present their ID and can sign up to visit the store once every three months and fill a shopping cart.” I personally used their service in 2019 where I found a painting of Saint Nicholas delivering a bag of toys and a cat for some lucky family. (Santa Claus is one of my heroes.) Kiwanis Thrift Sale 100 N Staebler, Ann Arbor. Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday; closed the rest of the week Proceeds raised by Kiwanis Thrift Sale fund other nonprofits, especially child-oriented organizations. According to their mission statement: Goodwill 3782 Carpenter Rd, Ypsilanti. Open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday and 8 p.m. the rest of the week. Goodwill is located on bus routes 5B and 66. The first thing I noticed about the store was it surpassed all the others in organization. It reminded me of a regular retail clothing store, à la TJ Maxx or JCPenney. In fact, there were brand new socks and Crocs. And if neon colors light you up, Goodwill is a beacon of 80’s throwback fashion. The most impressive thing about Goodwill as a non-profit is that they are not about affordable used clothing. Secondhand retail is a vehicle for their true purpose. Around 1890, a Methodist minister, Edgar Helms, wanted to help the jobless population so he opened “Morgan Memorial Cooperative Industries and Stores, Inc.” which House by the Side of the Road 2051 S. State St, Ann Arbor. Closed Saturday and Sunday, open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. weekly Located on bus route 6 and established in 1970, House by the Side of the Road started as a partnership between Washtenaw County and local churches. They are a 501(c)3 non-profit that is all-volunteer-staffed. Although there are no qualification barriers to access, the outfit primarily serves the County's homeless and housing-insecure citizens. I asked volunteer Mary-Lee Woodworth about how it works. She said, “We don’t charge for anything. We are open to the public, but sometimes are referred by social service "Kiwanis International’s mission is to improve the world by empowering communities and making lasting differences in the lives of children.” In addition to goods for sale to the general public, social workers who attend a training program are able to bring homeless and income-insecure clients in for free items. Easily the biggest thrift shop in town, the place is like a labyrinth in a Harry Potter movie. The multi-room building sprawls over 123,000 sq ft, so make sure your kids, friends and spouses are securely tethered to you at all times. The most impressive thing about Kilwanis is its selection. It’s like the Meijer of secondhand goods. Kiwanis’s challenge is its accessibility. The only way to get there, if you have no vehicle, is an independent bus service with its own schedule (visit the Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express website for more information). Also, they are only open two days a week. see ROUND-UP page 10
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