Time flies when you’re doing good….well, perhaps that isn’t exactly how the saying goes but it definitely is true for the Elgin Bargain Box.
The Elgin Bargain Box is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, August 14 (today). Opening on August 15 2014, it was hoped that enough donations would be received to make the Box a success. Being “built” from the vision of three women – Linda Kerkman, Phyllis Camp and Barb Finn – they had no idea where this road would lead.
‘When we started, 10 years ago, we started with an empty building, and hopes to generate enough funds to support Linda’s (Kerkman) mailing of the diapers to Tanzania,” explained Finn. “Then we would just fund some local charities.”
The intention was to receive donations, process and sell these items and share the profits. The board members and volunteers put in many hours, days, months to develop a pattern as to which items would be accepted, displayed and priced. This tweaking continues to the present day and depends on the donations received and the imagination of the volunteers.
And the Box is volunteer dependent. No one has, or does, receive a salary; all volunteers give their time and talents towards the success of the Box. Throughout the last 10 years, approximately 88,420 hours of work have been donated to the Box. These hours do not include the help that is needed beyond the day-to-day activities at the Box. Volunteer carpenters, electrical and HVAC technicians, out-of-town packers, transportation to Norfolk with the Orphan Grain Train boxes and Salvation Army bags and to Neligh with recycling expand the total of donated hours. All of these volunteers and generous donors from an ever-widening area have enabled the Box to have sales that exceed $1,090,000, far surpassing any expectations of the initial group. Because of this income, and, besides donating to multiple causes, the Box has been able to make its building safer, warmer and more attractive, enhancing downtown Elgin.
In its first 10 years, the Box has donated $675,774 towards worthy and needy causes. Catastrophic medical occurrences, seven area food banks, seven area fire departments and EMT groups, community causes, area hospitals and organizations, and select state and national entities have benefited from monetary donations. Needed items have been donated to fire victims, to domestic abuse survivors, to schools and to churches, increasing the value of donations. Alongside these donations, the Box has packed and transported approximately 10,200 boxes of clothing to the Orphan Grain Train in Norfolk which then sends the boxes to its missions throughout the world. According to Finn, the Bargain Box grants money based on needs and not proximity to Elgin but it should be noted that a fund of some type must be established to receive donations, such as a medical expense fund, fire relief fund, etc.
In reflecting back to those early years, it should be repeated that it has taken many hours, hard work and careful planning to bring the Bargain Box to where it is. Finn spoke briefly about one of their biggest challenges early on.
“There were many people that didn’t think that this would be a success, that it would just be a junk store,” she said. “…and that within a short time, our enthusiasm would disappear. But there were people that just opened their hearts and donated items, not knowing how it was going to turn out. It just snowballed”.
Appearance can be everything as Finn spoke of how they continue to create a pleasant shopping experience for the public. “We choose well (items they accept to sell), and by being particular in what we put out and trying to make sure that things are arranged attractively, and cleaned…and people take notice of that,” she added. Because of this ever-growing reputation, they are visited by people from all over the United States, coming to the Box as a destination to get things. That’s a win for many – shoppers, donors, recipients of grants and the community.
The Box is always in need of committed volunteers so that all the areas of Box work can continue. Stop at the Box, find treasures and have a conversation with the staff about joining the group of volunteers at the Box.
So stop by, shop and visit with them during their Open House today (Wednesday, August 14). Also consider asking if they have room for another volunteer in their Bargain Box family. It’s a treasured family to be a member of.
