PHS And SAVE Form A Great Partnership  
 
January 29, 2008  
Marsha Williams  
Picture Courtesy of Nathan Iversen  
   
SAVE Thrift Store, located at the foot of the hill below Peninsula High School, is a unique shop. Its slogan, “Shop – Donate – Volunteer,” provides the starting point for an understanding of what a contribution SAVE makes to the Peninsula community.

Founded in 1985 soon after the establishment of our school’s scholarship program, SAVE is a source of support to not only our scholarship fund, but also to our activity groups. PHS activity groups, including athletic teams as well as other extracurricular groups like choir or speech & debate, have the opportunity to provide volunteers to staff the store for two or four weeks at a time. In return, the group receives part of the profits which are then used for scholarships for their own members and for group expenses. Many groups such as golf and girls swim & dive have taken an annual month at the store for years and rely on it to provide their graduates with scholarships for higher education. If your group would like to participate in this way, call the store manager, Kris Hohensee at 857-2800 for details. The months of June and January are currently open for group volunteering.

The coordinators at SAVE are working to establish reciprocal relationships between volunteers for the various groups so that all groups can be assured of staffing when their month comes up. Volunteering for as little as one 2 to 4 hour shift per month is tremendously beneficial to the operation of the store. And even if you or your child are not affiliated with a school group, your help is still welcomed as a support toward the general scholarship program which benefits all PHS seniors who apply for it.

Those who volunteer at SAVE usually find that they have fun doing it and that their contribution is greatly appreciated. Students can count the hours worked toward community service which is sometimes required for classes and clubs. They also gain job skills in cashiering, customer service, sorting and pricing goods and stocking shelves. Adult volunteers have the same choices of jobs and may find ways to use their special talents such as working with books, jewelry or collectibles.

Most of the emphasis in this article has been on volunteering, but many people know SAVE for its great bargains in lightly used clothing, shoes, jewelry, toys, glassware and other household goods. The high quality of the goods at SAVE is a reflection of the generosity of our donor community. Frequent sales mean rapid turnover in the items for sale, so there is always something new for shoppers to discover.

By the way, “SAVE” stands for Seahawk Academic and Vocational Education. Isn’t that a great name for a thrift store that benefits the programs at Peninsula High School? Please contact the store if you have items to donate, hours to volunteer or want to drop in to shop. It is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.