GoodHeart | Back on the Rack brings thrifted finds with a purpose

For thrift lovers, there’s a special kind of joy that comes with walking into a store and spotting the ‘one’, whether it’s a bold print blazer, a quirky coffee mug, or an eye-catching art piece that can fill a wall space at home. At Back on the Rack, a charity thrift store tucked away at 28 Collins Green Avenue in St Andrew, that joy comes with the added feel-good factor of giving back. Founded around two decades ago to support the Missionaries of the Poor’s feeding programme, the monthly thrift experience continues with that same purpose at its heart.

When GoodHeart went on location on Wednesday morning, leader of the charge, Penelope Jane Stewart, affectionately called ‘PJ’, and her devoted team of volunteers were seen busily sorting and pricing the final finds they received from donors across Jamaica and overseas, in preparation for today’s sale that runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

When asked what inspired the longstanding initiative, Stewart explained that it was just a conversation between friends that evolved.

“Myself and Cheryl Mais, used to work with Father Ho Lung on his musical productions. I did the set design and I was involved with the homes and sorts while Cheryl did the costumes. And one day we were just chatting and we realised that we, and our friends, have a lot of clothes that we weren’t using anymore, but were in perfectly good condition, and the conversation led to a thrift idea, but we did nothing about it at the time.”

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She went on, “That eventually evolved into thinking we could use clothing as a way of raising money and Cheryl’s daughter was actually Miss Jamaica that year (1991) and she became a part of the conversation as we started thinking what happens to all these incredible gowns that all the beauty queens had.”

This led to their first fundraising effort, a fashion show where they sold gowns from the Miss Jamaica competition and donated the proceeds to a feeding programme that provides more nutritious meals for residents in the homes. Fast forward to today, and after each monthly sale, a cheque is handed over to the Missionaries of the Poor.

To the right of the compound sits a large container filled with household items and décor. It’s also where you’ll often find Janet Wright, one of the key volunteers. She’s been volunteering for so long, she laughs that she’s lost track of just how many years it’s been.

“I really love it (volunteering) because you just get a good feeling to know that this is all for a good cause,” she said before explaining the sorting process. “Whatever we get from donors, we gratefully accept. We sort through and display the items as creatively as we can, which helps customers to see the selection better.”

As Wright gestured toward the sale displays, filled with everything from glassware and vintage make-up bags to paintings. She paused beside a set of familiar centrepieces found in many Caribbean homes, figurines.

“We have so many folks who love them (figurines) and every sale we’d have people walking in and grabbing a few,” Wright highlighted.

When asked which section tends to draw the most attention, she singled out the kitchenware – pots, pans, dish sets, and Tupperware, with a few pieces still in their original boxes.

“Folks have been so generous to us because they know that whatever we make in sales here goes straight to the Missionaries [of the Poor] homes run by Father Ho Lung. There is a need for food, diapers, hospital bills; it’s so much, and there are a lot of homes across the island, which means a lot of people in need of help.”

The usual monthly sale set-up includes large tents with clothing for men, women, and children, all sorted by price, with racks starting as low as $300. But on a regular day, thrifters can walk into the store and expect to be greeted by Melesa Guaze, who handles the day-to-day operations. From receiving and sorting donations to leading the team that washes, irons, and hangs the finds, Guaze also makes time to connect with customers as they shop.

Almost on cue, a regular thrifter, Lorraine, walked in to get her shopping done a bit early. Explaining that she visits at least once a week, she said her finds include jeans, blazers, T-shirts and handbags.

“I am for sustainability, and thrifting provides an opportunity to reuse stuff, so that is what always gets me. And here is one of the places I thrift every week.”

So, if you’re planning to stop by today, its best to go early to get first pick of the finds, and to walk with cash. For an extra fun experience, bring a friend or family member to shop with.

rollesha.laing@gleanerjm.com