More than a thrift shop: Celebrating 10 years of service

By Garry Vatcher

When most people walk into the Esperanza Thrift Shop, they are looking for a bargain. Maybe it is a shirt, a set of dishes, a lamp, a book, or something for the kitchen. What they may not realize is that every item in the shop has a second purpose-and there is much more behind the Thrift Shop than simply selling donated goods.

The Esperanza Thrift Shop first opened its doors ten years ago, on August 19, 2016. When I started Fundación Hogar de Esperanza, it was in memory of my Ecuadorian partner, who passed away in 1993. My partner loved thrift shops, so it seemed only natural that a thrift shop would become part of the Foundation.

Over the years, it has become much more than that.

The Esperanza Thrift Shop is an important part of the work of Fundación Hogar de Esperanza. People throughout the community donate clothing, household goods, furniture, books, decorations, small appliances, and many other useful items. Some are sold in the shop, while others are given directly to people who simply cannot afford to buy what they need.

For someone moving into an empty room, a donated bed can mean finally having a place to sleep.

For a mother starting over, a few dishes, towels, and cooking utensils can help turn a bare space into a home.

For someone looking for work, a clean shirt or pair of shoes can make a difference.

And for families already struggling with the cost of food, medicine, or rent, receiving clothing or household necessities at no cost can remove one more burden.

That is why every donation matters.

The items we sell also play an important role. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Esperanza Thrift Shop help support the programs of Fundación Hogar de Esperanza.

A donated chair can help provide a meal.

A bag of clothing can help someone facing a medical emergency.

A set of dishes can help fund transportation, temporary shelter, patient support, or one of the many other services provided by the Foundation.

Nothing has to be worth a fortune to make a difference.

The Thrift Shop also gives useful items a second life. Instead of ending up in the garbage, they find a new home with someone who wants or needs them.

It is a simple idea: one person gives something they no longer need; another person finds something useful, and the proceeds help someone else entirely.

But your donations help in many other ways as well.

Employment Opportunities
The Thrift Shop has become a training ground for students and a source of employment for Ecuadorians who need an opportunity.

José, who oversees our Thrift Shop, has been with us for more than six years. His employment is part of our commitment to providing opportunities to people from marginalized communities.

He is one of our most dedicated employees, and his job helps him support his young family.

That is another side of the Thrift Shop that many people never see.

A donated item does not simply help the person who eventually receives or purchases it. It also helps create meaningful employment and provides people with the opportunity to support themselves and their families.

Donations to the Thrift Shop also support several other Foundation projects.

Through our Creadores de Esperanza program, women learn knitting and crochet skills using donated yarn. They then create items they can sell to help support their families.

In our sewing program, donated fabric and clothing that can no longer be sold are repurposed to make diaper bags and other useful items for single mothers.

Something that might otherwise be considered unusable can become the raw material for something entirely new.

That is what we try to do with every donation-find the best possible use for it.

Community Involvement
Our model of using donated goods to help others has also attracted the interest of major Ecuadorian companies.

Recently, Banco Guayaquil donated 20 boxes of clothing that are being distributed to children in need.

Hyundai donated 35 desks that will be used in schools in the Amazon.

These partnerships allow companies to take items they no longer need and turn them into something useful for communities that do.

We also collaborate with other nonprofit organizations.

We are often asked to provide clothing and personal items for individuals entering drug-treatment programs. We work with organizations assisting displaced individuals who need clothing and household goods as they begin rebuilding their lives.

Sometimes another organization knows exactly what is needed but does not have the resources to provide it.

That is where we can help.

Meeting the Need
One thing that may surprise people is that much of the clothing donated during emergency-relief campaigns around the world eventually ends up in landfills.

Why?

Because it is not always appropriate for the people receiving it.

Sizes can be wrong. Clothing may be unsuitable for the climate. Sometimes far more of one type of item is donated than can possibly be used.

This is particularly relevant with donations from the expat community, where clothing sizes are often larger than those needed by the people we serve.

When we receive a request for emergency assistance, we try to send what is actually needed in the correct sizes.

If we do not have something, proceeds from the Thrift Shop allow us to purchase it.

Recently, some donations originally intended for relief efforts in Venezuela could not be sent there. Rather than allowing those items to go to waste, they were placed in the Esperanza Thrift Shop. The proceeds can then be used where the need is greatest.

For us, the goal is not simply to give something away. The goal is to meet the need.

The biggest complaint we receive from expats
One of the biggest complaints we hear from some expats is about our prices. Many people are accustomed to North American-style thrift shops where everything is expected to be extremely inexpensive.

Our philosophy is somewhat different.

We price items based on what we believe they can reasonably sell for because our objective is to generate as much support as possible for the programs of the Foundation. When we first opened the Thrift Shop, there were days when $20 in sales was considered a good day. Today, the shop can generate $200 to $300 a day to support our programs.

That growth has made an enormous difference.

Most people understand that when they buy a shirt for $5, they are doing more than buying a shirt. That $5 can help provide a meal for someone who is hungry.

That $10 pair of pants can help purchase medicine for a baby in the hospital.

That piece of furniture can help provide temporary shelter for someone who has nowhere else to go.

So yes, you may occasionally find something priced a little higher than you expected at a thrift shop. But you are not simply buying a bargain. You are helping someone.

That is what makes the Esperanza Thrift Shop different.

When you donate, you are not simply cleaning out a closet. When you shop, you are not simply looking for a bargain.

You are helping us provide real help to real people with real needs.

The Esperanza Thrift Shop is proof that something you no longer need can still have tremendous value. Sometimes, all it needs is a second chance.

The Esperanza Thrift Shop is located on Juan Montalvo 9-78 between Gran Colombia and Bolivar and is part of the complex of services offered by Foundation Hogar de Esperanza which includes Hostal Pichincha, Expat Services Center, Wednesdays at the Hogar information services, Event Space and Seeds of Hope Corp. If you wish to donate, or find out more about our programs and services, you can contact Patricia at 593-99-029-4899 or by email at contact@hogaresperanza.org
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Garry Vatcher is president and founder of Foundation Hogar de Esperanza. He has been coming to Ecuador since 1987 and permanently moved to Cuenca 12 years ago. The foundation provides emergency assistance to thousands of people each year. With his guidance, the foundation has forged alliances with some of Ecuador’s major institutions including hospitals, the National Police, Amazon communities, universities, and governments. The foundation has received numerous awards and recognition for its work from local and international bodies. For information about all Foundation Hogar de Esperanza projects, go to https://hogaresperanza.org