The Sweetest Gig

In the fall of 2013, Salvation Army Thrift Stores conducted a photo contest.  Customers could submit photos of outfits purchased from Salvation Army.  I submitted three photos.  Many of you voted for me multiple times and I ended up winning 1st and 3rd place.  I won a $100 gift certificate to the store of my choice, I was able to purchase a new pair of running shoes, I desperately needed.  Then for 3rd place I got a $25 gift certificate to Salvation Army.  I was beyond thrilled!!

Then in December, Chris, the organizer of the photo contest asked me if I would be interested in blogging for Salvation Army.  I was blown away!!  I had been toying with the idea of blogging, but just hadn't taking the plunge.  I felt like this was a perfect option for me - I could get my feet wet in the blogging world, write about something I love to do, and not feel much pressure.

January 2014, our blog was launched https://familystoreskansascity.wordpress.com.   My first article was Mad for Plaid.  I spent hours editing and re-editing, taking pix, and perfecting it.  I was so nervous to finally submit it.

And the rest is history, so they say.  A few other girls have joined our team and it's been amazing to see what has transpired in a year and a half.  Our Facebook page has grown to almost 10,000 followers and now we are posting blog entries every week!!

Then last fall, our local Salvation Army representatives were recognized by the Salvation Army for their social media presence. Corporate was blown away by what our little team could do through our Facebook page and blog.  It has been such a cool little part of my life!  I am thrilled to be a part of this team and that all our hard work is paying off - Corporate is happy, patrons are happy, and I'm ECSTATIC!!

Last Saturday, we had an online Fashion Show at our Overland Park store.  We were excited to get to meet customers, help them shop, and hand out information about our blog and Facebook page.  Gretchen (another SA blogger) and I also created a display to show customers transformations of items purchased from Salvation Army.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I had a text from Gretchen saying we were featured in Friday's KC Star - what!!??  Wild!!   I had been pretty calm the entire week, but on the drive over, the nerves hit.  I just started praying and praising God for the opportunity.  I am thrilled that God is using one of my talents in a way I never dreamed of.

We had a lot of fun meeting customers, passing out our NEW business cards, taking pictures, and finding some amazing bargains.  Every time I walked out onto the floor to talk to customers, I would come back to our display with an arm full of items!!  Part of the incentive for customers, was if they let us take their photo to post on our Facebook page, they would receive the items they modeled for 1/2 price.  We had a couple of ladies who dressed from head to toe, including shoes and accessories.  Their outfits were less than $20!!

Overall, the event was a huge success.  We are excited to try to have a few more this summer!!  Stay tuned for more to come!!

Be sure to check out our Facebook page at Salvation Army Family Stores - Kansas City and our blog at Cents&Sensibility