BajaNomad

New San Felipe Thrift Store needs donations please!

Donjulio - 11-26-2009 at 09:58 AM

Hi Folks. First of all - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Paso a Pasito (the organization to help the handicapped children and families in San Felipe) is opening a thrift store. If you are coming to San Felipe and want to clean out your closets and garage we would definitely love to have the stuff to sell.

The store will be located at the current therapy center which is about 1 mile north of the arches on the sea side of the road. Same building as El Camino Market.

Also, if you are looking to help the needy during the holidays we could sure use diapers and food.

Thank you very much in advance www.pasoapasito.org

wilderone - 11-26-2009 at 10:22 AM

Take flyers out to El Dorado Ranch.

nobaddays - 11-26-2009 at 03:35 PM

I will spread the word on this end

doradodan - 11-26-2009 at 08:35 PM

with the new customs agents, i tried to donate 12 turkeys from costco el centro, they were gonna impound my truck and arrest me. they were going to a orphanage in mexicali. we wound up donating them to a womans shelter in el centro. i will never try to cross donations to mex. trying to help out.

N2Baja - 11-27-2009 at 06:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by doradodan
with the new customs agents, i tried to donate 12 turkeys from costco el centro, they were gonna impound my truck and arrest me. they were going to a orphanage in mexicali. we wound up donating them to a womans shelter in el centro. i will never try to cross donations to mex. trying to help out.


This brings up a good point. How can we in the states bring donations easily across the border? I have a lot of stuff that I could bring down, but not if it means getting my truck impounded and going to jail.

Any suggestions?

Paulina - 11-27-2009 at 07:22 PM

We have that issue too. I have been collecting from the local elementary school's lost and found for the past two years. You can imagine how much laundry we've done and how many large contractor's bags we have piled up to go.

We have to take it in little by little, usually in the bottom of our duffle bags or in old suitcases.

I wish we could fill the back of the truck and head to Baja. We certainly have enough to do that a couple of times.

P<*)))>{

Donjulio - 11-27-2009 at 07:37 PM

We will figure out a way. Give me a couple days. I have an idea how I can get it all across the border without issue.

arrowhead - 11-28-2009 at 09:49 AM

I don't understand your business model. (1) People donate items to a thrift store. (2)The thrift store sells the items, pays rent, pays untilities, pays staff, pays government fees, etc, etc. (3) The thrift store takes whatever is left and donates it to needy people.

Would it not be far more efficient to just give the donated items to the needy? Why do you need so many other hands in the masa?

Donjulio - 12-13-2009 at 11:51 PM

Arrowhead - just saw your message. The simple answer to that is that the handicapped kids don't need used sporting goods, toasters, blenders, whatever you may have in your garage that you haven't touched in the last 5 years etc.

What they do need is diapers, formula, therapy, medication etc. Those things cost money. The folks here can't afford to pay so therefore we have to raise the money somehow.

As far as overhead goes 1) We don't pay rent where we are. We do therapy for the owner as a trade. 2) We have no paid staff, its all volunteer. 3) The government fees we will just make no comment. They don't really mess with us because of the organization and what its for.

It works. We have other ways of raising money also. Just getting donations doesnt work to well. We have regular blasts to about 4,000 people on FB and havent received a dime so we have to do other things.

And btw, the idea I had to get the stuff across the border isn't going to work so I have to come up with some other ways. In the meantime, be creative. Thanks!

BajaNuts - 12-14-2009 at 12:13 AM

Paulina's ideas seem to be the best from what others have said.

No boxes or contractor garbage bags. Make it look like it's your own stuff by putting it into duffle bags and suitcases.

I can't offer an opinion as to what a border agent might say if they found a toaster, blender, curling iron, old Nintendo system and a few rusty wrenches under the tidy-whities in a duffle bag.:?:

What others have said is, pretend it's your own just for this trip. Maybe you have 300# of dog food in the back and a toy poodle in the front..........;)
Small dog, BIG appetite!

Good luck to this organization.

TMW - 12-14-2009 at 08:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by doradodan
with the new customs agents, i tried to donate 12 turkeys from costco el centro, they were gonna impound my truck and arrest me. they were going to a orphanage in mexicali. we wound up donating them to a womans shelter in el centro. i will never try to cross donations to mex. trying to help out.


With the customs as it is getting into Mexico it is probably better to purchase items at Costco in Mexicali if they have them.