Spring has us hopping with energy in the Purchases with Purpose programs! With Cinderella’s Closet in full swing, donations pouring in due to Spring cleaning season, and more shoppers than ever before, we are wonderfully busy and excited to share with you what we have been up to! First things first, a long-awaited announcement! Beginning Wednesday April 20th, the Boutique will have new extended hours! This means even more time to shop at your favorite spot in town! These hours will be posted on a new sign at the front of our building. Make sure to pick up a card with the new hours from the Boutique next time you stop by!

With extended hours comes a need for new volunteers. So what does volunteering at the Boutique entail? Helping customers find items, using the register, keeping the store clean and neat, putting price tags on new items, and steaming each new piece. It’s easy and fun and the best part is that
you get to shop on the job! There are no time requirements. Some volunteers help out for a couple of hours every week, others just help with certain events. A calendar with all available shifts is emailed to all volunteers every week and they let us know when they can work.

To volunteer at the Boutique, you must be at least 15 years of age and complete an application, background check, and child abuse clearances. This paperwork is all available at The Boutique and can be emailed upon request. We also accept volunteers ages 12-15 who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. The Boutique is an excellent place for students to earn service hours or even workplace training or for women of any age to socialize and have fun!

While the news of The Boutique’s new hours is definitely exciting, we have even more exciting news to share from all three of our Purchases with Purpose Programs:

CINDERELLA’S CLOSET: Cinderella’s Closet is more than halfway over, but that does not mean we are slowing down. So far, we have served just shy of 100 students and we are fully booked through April 20th. We are still accepting prom gowns and will continue to accept them all year round to be used for future years so please consider donating any dresses you may have! We are always particularly in need of sizes 16+.

CREATIONS OF COURAGE: Over at Rust and Shine in the Pajama Factory, our Creations of
Courage handbag display has an all-new look! A new display means more room for more products, so make sure to head on over to check out our fully restocked booth full of new Spring items!

We have two new items available as well! Our Rosie Wine Sleeves made from recycled men’s shirt
sleeves fit a wine bottle perfectly and make an adorable gift. Our Dorothea Snap Bags are cute little clutches made from recycled fabric and retractable measuring tape. The tape acts similarly to a snap bracelet, “snapping” the bag closed and keeping your items safe. We also have some adorable new Pride themed cross body bags and more are on their way!

Creations of Courage will be making an appearance at the Williamsport Grower’s Market on Saturday, April 30th so make sure to stop by and say hello!

THE BOUTIQUE: In February, the Boutique broke records with the launch of our Spring season!
Not only was it our highest opening day of any season, but it was also our highest single (non-Victorian Christmas) day on record!

We have seen record amounts of new donations and lots of traffic in the store. Spring is usually our busiest donation season due to spring cleaning, but this year has been crazier than ever. We now have three volunteers dedicated just to sorting to help us keep up!

On June 19th we will be celebrating the 9th anniversary of the Boutique, so keep an eye out for lots of fun discounts and events in the week leading up!

Thank you!
Kahlie DeHotman
Boutique Manager