A Christmas Wish
Tuesday, December 1st, 2015 | Uncategorized | No Comments
By Roberta Burwell
Most of us have Christmas wishes. Perhaps yours is a holiday visit from a distant friend or family member, witnessing a child’s first Christmas, or mending a relationship. Whatever your Christmas wish, I hope it comes true for you this holiday season so full of hope.
At the Good Neighbors Shoppe in Lenoir City, we’re a bit spoiled. That’s because every day provides us with another opportunity to experience the joy, hope, and happiness that the Good Neighbors Shoppe brings to our community. Our community is compromised of our donors, more than 200 volunteers, and, most importantly, the customers we serve.
Our customers range from shoppers with an eye for value. Are you heading to Hawaii soon? Why spend $50 or more on a Tommy Bahama shirt when you can choose from our wide selection of Hawaiian shirts for only $6? Repurposed merchandise – including apparel, furniture, art, books, kitchenware, and collectibles – is collected from donors just like you and made available for repurchase at unbelievably low prices.
Other customers include our neighbors who may be experiencing financial hardship or other family emergency. Oftentimes we come to the assistance of needy individuals referred by Loudon and Lenoir City Resource Centers, the Salvation Army, and the Red Cross to whom we are able to provide much needed clothing at no cost to the recipient.
There are no words to express my gratitude for the miracles performed by our more than 200 volunteers. From our intake area, where they select the best of the best, to our sorting area, where merchandise is sorted by type, sizes, and seasonality, to our merchandising volunteers that create a first-class retail experience, to our cashiers with their warm smiles, the Good Neighbors Shoppe creates a Christmas wish type environment every day of the year.
I would also like to take this time to thank our donors for their unlimited generosity in making the Good Neighbors Shoppe a reality. If you haven’t already done so, please take the time to visit our retail store to experience the smiles you have helped put on the faces of so many of your neighbors from within your own community.
And, lest I forget, to all of you who help us create this Christmas miracle every day of the week, the Good Neighbors Shoppe has also donated a record $300,000+ to charities throughout Loudon County in 2015, representing the profits from sales of our repurposed merchandise.
To all of you – volunteers, donors, and customers alike – let us wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Thank you for answering the Christmas wish for so many.
Good Neighbors Shoppe
420 Leeper Parkway in Lenoir City
(865) 988-9925
