Carefree/Cave Creek
Community News Excellence Since 2002
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CAREFREE
CAVE CREEK
SCOTTSDALE
NORTHEAST PHOENIX
BLACK CANYON CITY
FOUNTAIN HILLS
ANTHEM
TAKE ONE COURTESY OF CITYSunTimes AUGUST 2019
Kiwanis Marketplace Celebrates Fifth Anniversary he Kiwanis Marketplace Thrift Store is approaching its five-year anniversary. Opening Aug. 14, 2014 with no paid staff, the store is now led by its general manager, Sandra Carrier, along with the help of a small staff and a committed group of nearly 80 active volunteers. The volunteers at the Marketplace serve as store for personnel or as “roadies,” who offer free pickup service of larger, gently used donations from homes in the area.
Save the Date: Empty Bowls
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Prickly Pear Fest
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Destination: Cowboy Poets
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Pictured, L–R: J. Scott Brown, Kiwanis Marketplace Committee Chairman, and Sandra Carrier, general manager
Aside from its wide selection of affordable items for customers, ranging from furniture and house wares to clothing and electronics, the Marketplace provides a fun environment with meaningful and rewarding work for volunteers, most of whom are retirees. The store functions as a tight-knit community within itself, with staff and volunteers who are passionate about service, and loyal customers who can hunt for treasures while supporting a charitable organization. The Marketplace serves the community in several ways by funding projects to help local students as well as community projects. Over the past several years, the Marketplace has generated over $1,000,000 in scholarships and merit awards for area graduating high school seniors who are entering college. It has also sponsored many other projects including the STEAM Lab at Foothills Academy, the Kiwanis Kids Creative Corner at the Desert Foothills Library, the Kiwanis Sundial Splash Park in Carefree and the Kiwanis Field’s Little League scoreboard. Donated items that are not marketable by the Marketplace are passed on to Sunshine Acres in Mesa, which has its own thrift store to provide funding for a home for children who have been separated from their parents. Additionally, the Marketplace helps the environment by repurposing items that otherwise might end up in landfills. The Kiwanis Marketplace is no ordinary thrift store; it is an organization committed to enriching the lives of children. To learn more about the Marketplace and its impact on the community, or to find out how to volunteer, visit www.kiwanismarketplace.org.