An elderly man with dementia passed by the Red Cross thrift store on Istedgade every day. He would come and have a cup of coffee, or sit on a bench opposite the store and watch people. When he needed a new pair of pants, the volunteers would help him. When the day was over, they would walk him home to the nursing home.

-Everyone in the store knew and loved him. That's where I really got a special feeling that we've created a community here on Istedgade., says Melanie.

Melanie is a manager at the Red Cross thrift store on Istedgade. For many years she has had an interest in and worked with sustainability in clothing. A harsh corona pandemic with a lack of social community, together with a belief that we humans should treat the planet properly, was the starting point for Melanie's debut as a volunteer manager at the Red Cross store on Istedgade.

The store is a place where people come and buy again and again. That's something Melanie values. She and the store's other volunteers spend time selecting the right pieces of clothing and following current trends so that the items hanging in the windows sell. Her goal is for the store to be a place where customers come for the quality and feel that it's worth coming back.

 

More than just a store

People don't just come to the store on Istedgade to buy clothes. Many come again and again – for the atmosphere, for the community and for meeting others. That's exactly what makes sense for Melanie. For her, the store on Istedgade is not just a thrift store, it's also a community. It's just as much about the people. About creating a place where there's room for conversations, relationships and a sense of belonging.

Melanie finds that the thrift store functions as a gathering point where both customers and volunteers take time for each other. Small conversations, smiles and presence have become a natural part of everyday life in the store – and an important part of her motivation to keep going.

-In a time when people are less connected to each other, and social media and technology take up a lot of space, many people live more closed lives. Creating a community like the one in the store on Istedgade means something, because it opens up meetings between people and gives access to smiles and conversations.

For Melanie, it is precisely the small moments between people, which she thinks we have lost in society, that make the work meaningful.

-It's a good feeling to experience that we can still be there for each other and that we care about how people are feeling, Melanie says.

Volunteers should go home after a day in the store feeling like they have done something good.

An 81-year-old woman stopped by the Red Cross thrift store on Istedgade and asked if they needed volunteers. She has since worked as a volunteer at the store – and she and Melanie have become good friends, despite an age difference of about 30 years.

-I was afraid that I was no longer useful because I was old. But when you told me that I could make a difference for the Red Cross, I was so happy, the woman told Melanie.

Melanie puts her heart into the work she does for the Red Cross, and she finds that all the store volunteers do their best when they are in the store. All the store volunteers contribute different strengths and qualities, and together they work for a good cause. Melanie encourages people of all kinds, of all ages to become volunteers; everyone benefits from learning new things, working for a good cause, and being part of a community.

In Melanie's opinion, recycled clothing can do something that "fast fashion" cannot. A young woman came by the store one day and saw a vintage cocktail dress and it brought light to her eyes. Melanie asked the woman if she had a special occasion that the dress would be used for and she replied:

-No, I'm just so in love with that dress, so if I don't buy it, I'll regret it forever.

For Melanie, these kinds of experiences are something she remembers.

-It feels good when a woman walks out the door wearing a dress that makes her feel special, and with the certainty that she won't meet anyone else wearing the same dress. Melanie says and continues:

-People are really happy, and I don't think you see the same joy in people's eyes when they shop fast fashion.

It is in the encounters between people, in the smiles and conversations, that the work creates value for Melanie. Being able to combine the joy of recycling with a community where people feel welcome is what drives her – and what makes the Red Cross store on Istedgade more than just a place to buy clothes.