Thrift Store

Beyond the Sale: How TRU Thrift Shop’s Giving Room Creates Community Impact

November 3, 2025 by TRU Community Care

When you donate to TRU Thrift Shop, your generosity extends far beyond what you might see on our sales floor. While many donated items find new homes through our store, what happens to the items that don’t sell tells an even more powerful story of community care and environmental stewardship.

The Giving Room: Where Nothing Goes to Waste

At the heart of our sustainability mission is TRU Thrift’s “Giving Room” – a dedicated space where volunteers work tirelessly to give as many donations as possible a meaningful second life. What many shoppers might not realize is just how far this commitment extends, with an extensive network of over 30 community partnerships.

In the Giving Room, volunteers carefully sort items that cannot be sold in-store but still have tremendous value for community organizations. This thoughtful approach means that your donations continue giving long after they leave our shelves.

Hannah, former TRU Thrift staff member who founded the Giving Room in 2015, recently stopped by to visit.

Stories of Second Lives

Every item tells a story of transformation and purpose:

Comfort for Life’s Transitions: Sheets that can’t be sold find meaningful new purposes – some go to The Natural Funeral to support their green burial services, while others become backings for quilts at Faith Community Church, providing warmth to people experiencing homelessness.

Supporting Families: Baby clothes that have outgrown our sales floor bring joy to new families through Gabriel House, while diapers and infant care items support parents through Sister Carmen Community Center.

Meeting Basic Needs: Shoes make their way to Haven Ridge (formerly Feet Forward) and other organizations supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. Towels, blankets, and toiletries find their way to All Roads (formerly Boulder Shelter for the Homeless), providing dignity and comfort to those in transition.

Building New Homes: When individuals transition from homelessness into their first apartments, they often arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Through partnerships with Boulder Housing Partners and Emergency Family Assistance, dishes, household items, and basic necessities from our Giving Room help transform empty spaces into homes.

Nurturing Growth: Children’s books bring literacy and joy through multiple organizations, while art supplies support creative expression at Mental Health Partners and through TGTHR (formerly Attention Homes) for at-risk youth.

Paul, TRU Thrift Shop shopper, picking up textiles for a Kiwanis project to make dog toys for the Humane Society in partnership with CU students.

A Web of Care

Our network includes specialized partnerships that address unique community needs:

Pet Care: The Boulder Valley Humane Society receives pet food, toys, and bedding.
Health & Mobility: Medical equipment like wheelchairs and walkers go to organizations like Bridge House and Good Health Will.
Environmental Responsibility: Through CHaRM, glass and ceramics are properly recycled, while Eco-Cycle receives plain t-shirts for their programs.
Safety: A Precious Child receives car seats for proper disposal and recycling.

The Volunteers Who Make It Happen

This remarkable system works because of dedicated volunteers like Paula, Donna, Cheryl, Bob, and many others who coordinate pickups, deliveries, and relationships with our partner organizations. They understand that the woman donating her mother’s dishes isn’t just clearing out a cabinet – she’s potentially helping furnish someone’s first apartment after homelessness.

Your Donation’s Ripple Effect

When you donate to TRU Thrift Shop, you’re not just supporting hospice care – though proceeds certainly do fund TRU Hospice’s compassionate end-of-life services. You’re also:

Reducing waste by keeping usable items out of landfills
Supporting over 30 local nonprofits with needed supplies
Helping individuals transition from homelessness to housing
Supporting families in crisis
Providing resources for at-risk youth
Contributing to pet welfare and community health initiatives

Paula, TRU Thrift Shop volunteer who leads Giving Room initiatives — Paula, current TRU Thrift Shop volunteer, who passionately spearheads all Giving Room initiatives.

The Bigger Picture

The Giving Room represents something bigger than efficient donation processing – it’s a testament to what’s possible when organizations work together with intention and care. Every partnership was thoughtfully developed based on specific community needs and each organization’s mission.

This network ensures that your generosity has the maximum possible impact. A single bag of donations might contribute to hospice care through store sales, help a family in crisis through the Giving Room partnerships, and support environmental sustainability through proper recycling – all while strengthening the fabric of our Boulder County community.

Join Our Mission

The next time you visit TRU Thrift Shop at 5565 Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder, know that you’re part of something much larger than a typical thrift store transaction. Whether you’re shopping, donating, or volunteering, you’re supporting a comprehensive approach to community care that honors both people and planet.

Your donated sweater might warm someone at Haven Ridge. Your extra dishes might help furnish a formerly homeless individual’s first apartment. Your children’s outgrown books might spark joy for a child at Sister Carmen Community Center.

This is the true magic of the Giving Room – where generosity goes further, waste is reduced, and community needs are met through the simple act of giving thoughtfully and receiving gratefully.

TRU Thrift Shop is located at 5565 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80303. For more information about donations or volunteer opportunities, call 303.604.5353. To learn more about our Giving Room partnerships or to suggest additional community organizations that could benefit, contact Paula at gmputter@gmail.com.

Meet One of Our Younger Volunteers at TRU Thrift

September 19, 2023 by TRU Community Care

Meet Jady! Just graduated from Fairview High School last spring, she’s got her whole life ahead of her. Jady is entering the University of Washington to study Environmental Science. Jady is also one of our volunteers at TRU Thrift.

Covid wasn’t an easy time for most, and many everyday activities were suddenly extinct, including retail shopping. Many people were left with not much to do and in search of new hobbies to keep busy. For Jady, that hobby became volunteering at her local thrift shop. Jady and her mother enjoyed thrifting and were frequent shoppers at TRU Thrift. One day they saw a sign advertising ‘help wanted’ and decided to give their spare time to a good cause.

“Starting as a volunteer during Covid was hard and kind of weird,” Jady claims, but she found it to be rewarding and worthwhile. Through the three years that Jady volunteered with TRU Thrift, she found friendships, helpful and kind people, and some cool thrift shop discoveries.

If you visited TRU Thrift in the past few years, you would likely find Jady up front and center on a cash register – she is a people person and loves interacting with customers. If not up front, she’s in the back sorting clothes and chatting up the other volunteers in the clothing department.

Very few of our volunteers are in the younger age group, and even fewer are school-aged, which makes Jady just that much more special. When asked about what she would like to share specifically with others her age about volunteering, she highlighted a few positives, “It’s a way to have great learning experiences,” Jady says, “and colleges and employers love it.” Jady says it is also a significant way to feel involved with your community while making a difference.

Over the past three years here at TRU Thrift, Jady contributed close to 200 volunteer hours! One key life lesson she took away from her volunteer time is the value of having patience and understanding for others. She also learned how to carry extra responsibility, as well as the importance of volunteering and serving others.

Now that Jady is off to college, she won’t be around the store as much, but her lasting impact will resonate for years to come. Jady will be coming home next summer, so you might get a chance to stop in and say hi to her next June!

Submitted by Kelsey B., Thrift Shop Intern

TRU Thrift Shop Moment Brings TRU’s Mission Full Circle

October 10, 2019 by TRU Community Care

With the large range of services offered by TRU, our programs often affect one another and are integral components in cultivating the community of TRU Community Care. All of our services are created to support families and individuals in our community who are coping with illness and loss. Even our TRU Thrift Shop began with the hopes of providing an outlet for people to give and receive one-of-a-kind items that someone once held dear.

It is not every day that TRU Thrift Shop stories come full-circle back to the mission of TRU Community Care, but recently, a customer saw a beautiful, affordable dining room table that she knew her friend would love. She quickly messaged her friend, Anne, and had her come to the shop to check it out. With no idea that TRU Thrift Shop existed, she came in to see the table, immediately fell in love, and bought it on the spot!

At that moment, Anne looked up, saw the TRU Thrift Shop logo, and realized that it was a part of TRU Community Care. She could not believe it! Anne’s father, Gary, received TRU Hospice Care for 6 months, and that day was the one year anniversary of her father’s passing. Her whole family had benefited from the services TRU Community Care provided. When her father passed, Anne participated in an 8-week grief support group through TRU Grief Services.

In Anne’s words, “it was such a meaningful moment when I found that table on the anniversary of my father’s passing. I felt so close to my dad and his memory on that day.” These are the heartfelt moments we are honored to take part in through life’s ups and downs. It was truly a one-of-a-kind moment that connected TRU Thrift Shop with TRU Hospice and TRU Grief Support services. And like all TRU Thrift Shop sales, Anne’s purchase will help support other families in need of TRU’s care.

To learn more about TRU Community Care’s services, please visit https://www.trucare.org/our-services/.

To learn more about TRU Thrift Shop, please visit https://www.trucare.org/truthriftshop/.

A Trip Down Memory Lane at TRU Thrift Shop

August 30, 2019 by TRU Community Care

Objects relate to memory in their ability to represent a time, place, and emotion. Encountering a familiar object of a distinct time in an individual’s life can be a visceral and monumental experience. TRU Community Care’s thrift shop, TRU Thrift Shop, is continuously providing these experiences for their customers and community.

Items come in daily from various decades and genres of life when families feel it is time to let go of their objects. Donating to TRU Thrift Shop provides a trusted place to let go of items in the appropriate junctures of life. TRU Thrift Shop renders an added assurance to individuals and families knowing they will be providing another individual or family with a treasured object, giving new purpose to old things.

Stephany Precourt, the Senior Development Associate at TRU Community Care, recently purchased a 1966 Singer sewing machine at TRU Thrift Shop. The exact same model she learned how to sew on as a young girl.

She dropped into TRU Thrift Shop with a friend on a whim one Saturday afternoon during a 50% off day. Stephany was on her way out the door when she caught a glimpse of her friend playing around with a sewing machine cabinet. She almost couldn’t believe her eyes. It was the same exact sewing machine that she had learned to sew on and was in pristine condition. All the memories and excitement of learning to sew as a young girl came flooding back.

Not only was the sewing machine in perfect condition, but it was also 50% off and included the original operating manual. It was one of those days when you feel like that specific moment in life was meant for you to encounter. Stephany was taken back in memory to her first experience sewing at 8 years old. She sewed pajamas. What is the first thing she will sew again on her latest 1966 Singer sewing machine? Curtains. From pajamas to curtains, seemingly simple items can provide immeasurable value at TRU Thrift Shop, a “one-of-a-find” kind of place.

To visit or learn more about TRU Thrift Shop, please visit https://www.trucare.org/truthriftshop/.

To read more by TRU Community Care, please visit https://www.trucare.org/blog.

Thrift with a Mission

June 6, 2019 by TRU Community Care

Infectious joy. Those are the two words that people frequently use to describe the atmosphere at TRU Thrift and the volunteers who work there. And it has the ability to impact anyone who steps foot into the store.

Mary Scripter has been volunteering with TRU Thrift for over three years. She helps with everything from organizing the literacy section to working the register. She even helped start the TRU Thrift Online Amazon Bookstore. She loves volunteering with TRU Thrift because of their mission — and the first look at all of the items coming in the door doesn’t hurt either.

Originally from South Dakota, Mary went to college in Wyoming and has lived in Colorado since 1971. She has been volunteering with hospices across Colorado since ‘76. She started her volunteering in Colorado Springs, until she found TRU Community Care.

Mary began working with hospice communities because of her experience through her sister’s death.

“When you’ve been helped by a hospice, you want to give back.” Mary tells us. “TRU Community Care has such a wonderful community, who donate furniture and goods to TRU Thrift.”

She understands that when people go through the death of a loved one, they want to give back and support others who are going through a similar experience. Mary’s favorite section is in the book stacks. There are days that she organizes 100’s of donated books.

Mary loves to organize and research the books for their value. If at any time you find yourself at TRU Thrift, check out their amazing book section. You may even find Mary there to help you support your efforts in finding the perfect summer read or even a treasure.

In the words of TRU Thrift’s Store Manager, Lynn McCullough, “Shopping at the TRU Hospice Thrift Shop can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Who doesn’t love the hunt for a bargain?”. Merchandise includes high-end furniture at reasonable prices, gently worn clothing from designer to basics, jewelry, collectibles, art, books, sporting equipment, housewares, and more.

Parking Lot Book Sale

October 13, 2017 by TRU Community Care

Join TRU Hospice Thrift Shop for a gigantic used book sale in the parking lot of the store.

Saturday, October 21
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
5565 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder

Homeless Dog Gets New Vest Thanks to TRU Hospice Thrift Shop and Caring Man

December 9, 2016 by TRU Community Care

Yesterday, a man named David was walking along and saw a homeless woman with a dog outside where it was freezing. The dog was so cold it was shivering. David drove to our thrift store, but we didn’t have any dog coats. So, our volunteer Heide helped him find a people vest that could be adapted for a dog. David purchased the vest and took it back to the woman and the dog. This is a pic of Thor in his almost-brand-new dog coat courtesy of David and TRU Hospice Thrift Shop.

Thor staying warm in his new vest from TRU Hospice Thrift Shop.

TRU Hospice Thrift Shop Wins Best of Boulder County

September 27, 2016 by TRU Community Care

The people of Boulder County have spoken. TRU Hospice Thrift Shop, located at 5565 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder, won Best Recycled Goods/Thrift Shop in the Boulder County Gold People’s Choice Awards this year.

Members from the Board of Directors—along with interim CEO Pat Mehnert and Vice President of Philanthropy Annette Mainland—greeted customers on Sunday, September 25 with free donuts and coffee.

The thrift shop exists to support the mission of TRU Community Care: to ensure that everyone in our community can live with advanced illness as comfortably, confidently, and fully as possible.

“Its sole purpose is to support what we do in our hospice program. We bring them peace, and space, and the ability to say goodbye in the way they want to.” said Annette Mainland.

For each item purchased at the thrift shop in Boulder proceeds are filtered directly back to TRU Community Care. Thanks to our loyal customers, the work of TRU is extending to the local community with each treasure that leaves our store.

We are grateful to our customers for their continued support, and we thank you for voting us Best Recycled Goods/Thrift Shop in Boulder!

We’re always looking for volunteers in our thrift shop! In as little as two hours per week, you can make a difference in our community and meet new friends. Contact the thrift shop for more information: 303.604.5353 or email store manager Lynn McCullough.

Pulitzer Promotions Donates New Flags to TRU Hospice Thrift Shop

August 24, 2016 by TRU Community Care

Joy Pulitzer, owner of Pulitzer Promotions right here in beautiful Boulder, CO has generously donated the two new flags you’ll see outside of our TRU Hospice Thrift Shop located at 5565 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder. These flags were much needed, as the old ones were faded and torn from the weather. Thank you, Joy! We appreciate you.

And, did you know that TRU Hospice Thrift Shop is the only nonprofit thrift shop in the area? We are proud to support the work of our organization through this store that rescues treasures from being dumped in the landfill, brings joy and surprise finds to the community, and serves patients and their families in their time of greatest need.

TRU Hospice Thrift Shop Promotes Zero Waste With Eco-Cycle

August 23, 2016 by TRU Community Care

Last week, Mel Gilles of Eco-Cycle pulled into the parking lot of TRU Hospice Thrift Shop eager to pick up not the first, but the second large donation of boxes containing used T-shirts. Why so many shirts, you ask? Eco-Cycle is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, and as part of the celebration they are printing shirts with their logo and other messaging. Rather than purchase brand new shirts, Eco-Cycle reached out to TRU Hospice Thrift Shop Manager Lynn McCullough to see if there was an opportunity to partner and rescue used items before they hit the landfill. As luck would have it, there was!

Both Eco-Cycle and TRU Community Care are celebrating their 40th anniversaries this year. You can get in on the fun by purchasing tickets to TRU’s annual gala, Peace, Love & PIZZAZ! This year is a 70s-themed disco party!

The thrift shop has donated a total of 400 shirts to Eco-Cycle over the summer. First, at Eco-Cycle’s birthday bash, and now for their upcoming event in September. We’re thrilled to be partnering with such a great organization that is committed to reducing waste in our environment. Bonus? They’re located just right down the street from our thrift shop on Arapahoe Road. We’ve seen Mel sneak in to shop several times during the week. 😉

Mel from Eco-Cycle (left) with Lynn, TRU Hospice Thrift Store Manager (right) with the T-shirt donations.

The TRU Hospice Thrift Shop truck. Got donations? We’ll pick them up!

About the Author

Maria Thomas is the Communications Coordinator for TRU Community Care and TRU Hospice of Northern Colorado. She is a lover of the written word and also is a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). With over 15 years’ experience in the health care field, Maria has worked as a medical editor and as managing editor at National Jewish Health in Denver.