Shopping with Friends

Community partner ALE discovers a new way to support ECA

ALE volunteers/ECA cashiers Linda H. and Stephanie W. along with ECA Vice President Jody Orbits.

As one of ECA’s oldest community partners, Assistance League of the Eastside serves the immediate, unmet needs of children and adults challenged by hardship or violence, strengthening our community while fostering dignity, confidence, and hope. Our organizations share a commitment to Eastside residents and have collaborated in various ways. ECA provides grant funds to ALE programs that align with our mission such as Assault Survivor Kits (addressing mental health) and Operation School Bell (addressing hunger). ALE provides volunteers to cashier for ECA when our regular volunteers are not available for a shift.

In November, our groups discovered a new way to collaborate—a private shopping event to welcome old and new customers to ECA. ECA Vice President and ALE member Jody Orbits hosted a group of 43 ALE volunteers and their guests for an evening of “Shampayne and Shopping.” This event allowed many ALE members to see our shop for the first time and enjoy our beautiful selection of second-hand finds. ALE/ECA cashiers proudly rung up over $1400 in sales that will support ECA’s mission.

We hope to host similar private shopping events in 2023 for our community partners. Let us know if your group is interested at ecathriftshop@gmail.com.