giving back Archives

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.

The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and we are looking forward to the fall season! Read more about what’s happening at TRU Community Care in our 2019 Fall Newsletter. A few highlights are included below:

Care for Everyone in Our Community

TRU Community Care believes that everyone in our community deserves to be supported throughout advanced illness and at end-of-life with compassionate, high-quality care. By providing a continuum of care that includes PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), palliative care, hospice care, and grief services, it is our hope that more community members will be aware of and utilize our services as soon as they are needed. Access to care remains a prevalent burden that we seek to ease by providing community outreach and education as well as access to our services, regardless of an inability to pay. TRU offers “indigent patient care” for patients with an inability to pay for services. TRU seeks to reduce potentially avoidable physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual suffering, regardless of one’s socio-economic status.

In one recent case, a young female facing advanced-stage cancer was torn because she desperately needed help getting her pain under control, but she was still thinking about pursuing treatment in the future. She became frustrated with another organization that she felt had too many restrictions. Our team approached her with the attitude that “we will take this walk with you, day by day.” She was admitted to the TRU Hospice Care Center where our team could focus on managing her pain and addressing her current concerns, so she could get back home to her young children. At that moment, she needed our expert hospice care. Regardless of what the future may hold, TRU is committed to doing the right thing for our patients and families each and every day as we walk with them on their journey.

Butterflies “Take Flight”

On June 22nd, TRU hosted our1st Annual “Take Flight” Butterfly Release and Memorial, serving as a celebration of life and an important step in the grief process for loved ones coping with loss. Approximately 200 hundred people gathered at this year’s ceremony to share memories, relay personal experiences with grief, read poems, and to be surrounded by others who might understand on a deeper level. The rain cleared and the sun came out just in time to release the butterflies in the labyrinth behind TRU PACE – a representation of the transition of one life form to another.

Next year’s “Take Flight” Butterfly Release and Memorial will take place on June 13, 2020.

“The butterfly event was beautiful. I loved watching my friend fly away from me. It was a beautiful visualization of what happened. Thanks for all you do to bring peace to people in grief.”
– TRU Volunteer and “Take Flight” attendee

TRU Grief Services

TRU Grief Services are available to everyone in our community. These services include extensive support and resources for people of all ages and throughout all phases of the grief process. We are honored to serve families and individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

Kathy F. completed our 4 and 8-week grief groups in the Spring of 2018 after the unexpected passing of her sister and brother-in-law earlier in 2017. Her sister was her “best friend in the whole world” and Kathy knew she needed additional support to offset the burden on her family. When she reached out to Reta Morrisette with TRU Grief Services, Kathy was comforted by how calming and supportive Reta was as she walked her through all of the available Grief Services options.

The grief groups provided a place for Kathy to navigate her feelings and be accepted without judgment. After completing both programs, Kathy continues to meet with members of one of the groups once a month. Inevitably, they have become her friends on a deep level. Kathy’s advice to anyone thinking about TRU Grief Services is, “At least give it a try. It’s not always easy, but every minute counts and it is 100% worth your time.”

In addition to our free group offerings for the community and one-on-one support provided to families who have experienced a loss through one of TRU’s programs, TRU Grief Services is excited to announce a fee-based one-on-one support program for grieving community members starting this fall.

Visit trucare.org/grief for more information about our expanding grief services.

Palisade Peaches in Lafayette

Our 2019 “Perfect Peaches” Community Peach Sale fundraiser was a success, with White Orchard in Palisade providing a truckload of peaches from the Western Slope to help support our efforts. Farmer Ray White, a long-time hospice supporter, says, “Working with hospice keeps the peaches rolling out the door and helps people receive the care they need. It’s been a great experience to work with TRU and to see how the community pulls together to make it happen. I’m proud to provide quality peaches each year.”

Local businesses also rallied to support our mission. Superior Towing donated the tractor-trailer and driver to transport the fruit from Palisade to Lafayette. AAA Barricade provided the cones that allowed us to create our peach pickup drive-thru. Our printing partner, MailGraphics, even lent us a pallet jack. Event sponsors Ewing Leavitt Insurance Agency and Boulder Community Health provided generous underwriting for the event, which raises funds to support TRU’s mission to affirm life at every step of your journey with illness and loss. We’re grateful to our many 2019 Event Series sponsors, too!

Next year’s “Perfect Peaches” Community Peach Sale Pick-Up will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2020.

TRU Gives Back

TRU Community Care is dedicated to giving back to the community, not only locally, but also abroad. In 2006, TRU approached the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa (FHSSA), an arm of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and was paired with Bumbuli Hospice. Bumbuli is located in Northeastern Tanzania near the Kenyon border which is about 6 hours from Kilimanjaro. Currently, they serve 972 patients with just 6 full-time staff members and 43 volunteers! Over the years, TRU has helped to support Bumbuli Hospice with donations totaling over $100,000. The majority of this contribution has come from employee efforts such as bake sales, potlucks, craft fairs, and donations through payroll deductions. TRU has participated in exchange visits, hosting members of the Bumbuli team in Boulder and deploying multidisciplinary teams to Bumbuli to learn, conduct training, and offer services.

TRU staff give back in so many ways. More than 30% of TRU Community Care staff donate either to Bumbuli, TRU’s Employee Education Fund, TRU’s General Operating Fund, or in support of a TRU event. TRU employees donate their time by volunteering at our “Take Flight” Butterfly Release and at our “Perfect Peaches” event. Staff volunteers help in all aspects of the events. Our community of TRU employees and volunteers are engaged in community service beyond their efforts in support of TRU. They volunteer for and donate to countless organizations throughout the region.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” — William Shakespeare

TRU’s Community of Volunteers

Each year more than 300 volunteers give their time and effort to assist TRU Community Care’s mission to provide patients and families with the best emotional, spiritual, and practical support available so they feel affirmed at every step of their journey with illness and loss. TRU volunteers worked 34,048 hours in 2018, providing patient care and clinical support or working at the TRU Thrift Shop.

In 2019, we expanded our volunteer program to include volunteer support for our growing palliative care patient population. Holly M. started volunteering at the beginning of the program, providing companionship for a patient twice a month at her home. The volunteer program has allowed Holly and the patient to share life’s experiences, such as work, family, and travel. Overall, the palliative volunteer program has left Holly feeling enriched by learning about the palliative patient’s life and blessed by a volunteer relationship that is now growing into a friendship. Holly would suggest volunteering with TRU Palliative Care Services because there is so much to learn from another person’s experience, even if they’re in a different stage of life.

Another exciting program at TRU is our TRU Heroes program, through which our veteran volunteers help honor and care for patients who are also veterans. One aspect of this program is our Veteran Pinning Ceremonies. These ceremonies often include a veteran patient’s family members and loved ones who recognize and wish to honor the memorable and historical efforts and sacrifices made by the veteran. TRU offers and produces these ceremonies to honor an individual’s service to the United States Military. These ceremonies give veterans the opportunity to share more of their story in a safe space as they near the end of life.

If you are interested in becoming a TRU volunteer, please contact TRU Volunteer Services at 303.604.5226 or email volunteer@trucare.org.

Best of Boulder’s TRU Thrift Shop

TRU Thrift Shop is not just a store, but a community. Did you know that our shop partners with over 40 nonprofits, including Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, Boulder Valley Humane Society, and Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA), to
ensure that resources get into the hands of those most in need in our community? We are proud to support such incredible organizations through our Giving Room program.

TRU Thrift Shop was recently named the best thrift store in Boulder County for the seventh year in a row. This isn’t just because of our amazing “one-of-a-kind finds” and our incredible volunteer program. It’s also due to the fact that TRU Thrift Shop helps to support Boulder and surrounding communities by funding TRU Community Care programs like TRU Hospice and TRU Palliative Care.

TRU Thrift Shop is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and now features a café with a beautifully shaded patio. We are excited to announce that Huckleberry Roasters of Denver, CO is now our official coffee sponsor! Stop in to enjoy a cup today.

Save the Date!

TRU Cares Fundraising Luncheon
Thursday, November 7, 2019 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Academy Senior Living in Boulder

TRU Heroes Veteran Honoring Ceremony
Monday, November 11, 2019 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Louisville Recreation & Senior Center

Go in Peace! Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion
Monday, November 11, 2019 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Dairy Arts Center in Boulder

Lights of Life Holiday Remembrance
Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Unity Columbine Church in Boulder

Visit trucare.org/events for more information.

How YOU Can Give Back to TRU

TRU Community Care relies on support from friends like you to continue our vital work: providing the best possible care to anyone who needs us, regardless of an inability to pay.
Our programs are funded partly through Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, and private payments, but because we give the same unparalleled care to everyone, we also rely on the generosity of business, foundations, and individuals like to you to help bridge the gap.

When you make a gift to TRU, you make a gift of lasting value. You are ensuring that everyone experiencing advanced illness or loss in our community is treated with respectful and compassionate care they deserve. We thank you for your consideration and generosity.

Visit trucare.org/donate make a tax-deductible contribution today.