McChord Thrift Shop gets organized after big donation

AAFES donates carts, shelving units to on-base shop

By Tyler Hemstreet on April 22, 2011

McChord Officers' Spouses Club president Leslie Long is quick to admit she loves to be organized.

She likes it when items are neatly stacked in a closet in her house or on the shelves of the McChord Thrift Shop, which the OSC runs and oversees.

Much to Long's and the entire OSC's delight, the latter recently got a bit easier.

While attending an Airman and Community Council meeting last December, Long ran into McChord B/X manager Lew Hood and mentioned to him that the thrift shop could use a few more shopping carts.

"Every time we have a bag sale at the beginning of the month, the number one complaint from customers is that we always run out of carts," Long said. "We're so grateful for the new carts."

Hood said he would check his warehouse for anything that they didn't use anymore and let the OSC know.

"Recently all this fabulous stuff we can absolutely use started showing up," Long said.

AAFES donated shopping carts and various shelving and display units.

The thrift shop's volunteer staff quickly and deftly cleaned up and assembled the metal shelves, removing the old wooden shelves.

"It's amazing," Long said. "It's made the thrift shop a much better place to shop."

While Long is quick to praise AAFES for the donations, she is also grateful to the thrift shop's volunteer staff for putting everything together and organizing the aisles.

"We can't do what we do without them and all their good work," she said.