Wacosa Seniors Host Aunt Bea’s Tea Party

Providing the seniors we serve with the ability to connect with other people their age to help them remain active in the community is exactly what WACOSA’s Senior Service program is all about. Our seniors have the opportunity to volunteer through the RSVP program, participate in classes and crafts, and take day trips to different events in the area.

In May, the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud was turned into Mayberry, North Carolina. Seniors had the opportunity to “visit” Mayberry - the home of the Andy Griffith show.

The classic American sitcom, first televised between 1960-1968, portrays a widowed sheriff in a small community that has complications in life when an incapable but well-meaning deputy, spinster aunt and housekeeper, and a young son come into his life. Even though the show was shot in the 1960’s it captured the reminiscing Americana feeling of the 1930’s.

For a full week, our seniors spent time doing activities centered around the “Andy Griffith Show” and Mayberry. On the last day of their “visit”, they had a tea party in honor of Aunt Bea. This “visit” had the seniors reminiscing of old times and brought back many good memories for them.

One of our goals for our Senior Service program is to help community seniors remain active. This Tea Party was a great opportunity for our seniors to enjoy some reminiscing and be active with their peers.

If you would like to volunteer with our organization, visit the Ways to Help page of our website.

Back-to-school Recycling Tips

As August comes to a close, it's time to start preparing for back to school. This school season we encourage you to recycle, reuse and save money! At WACOSA, we encourage everyone to recycle.

Here are some recycling tips to help you begin. Perhaps you can even save this money for that new refrigerator you’ve been meaning to buy!

1. Sort through your child’s old materials. There might be materials that can be reused or recycled. For instance, old binders and folders can be reused. Paper that has been written on only one side can be reused as well; you can cut it up and re-staple it together to make a notebook.

2. Make a list of school supplies you absolutely have to buy! This will limit emotional impulse buying. Having a plan of action makes it easier and will make your shopping faster and more efficient. 

3. Buy recycled products – such as pencils made from old jeans and binders made from cardboard boxes. You can also buy used goods from resale shops. 

4. Save all packaging, colored paper, cardboard, and egg cartons for craft projects. For instance, egg cartons are really great for making small critters and animals. 

5. Maintain durable products such as backpacks and notebooks. These items can be used for years, which will help reduce the amount of broken materials thrown away each year. 

6. Shop for clothing at community thrift stores to help upcycle old clothes into new ones for your child this year. For instance, WACOSA ThriftWorks! has fashionable clothes that will surely impress your child’s friends on the first day of school. 

Make this year a good year and follow the 3 R’s to help recycle, reuse, and reduce!

This back-to-school season will be an inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and fashionable one for you and your child!

ThriftWorks! Home Makeover

It’s 10:00 PM and you’re still awake. You couldn’t fall asleep so you’re up in front of your TV with your remote in hand flipping through the channels until you land on your favorite home design show. A thought races through your mind “Wow, lucky people! If I only I had the budget to make my dinky old home beautiful.”

Not to worry! Anyone can beautify their home without breaking bank. By shopping at thrift stores in your surrounding community, you can change your home to look just like the one you saw on your favorite home design show. Get your walking shoes on and make sure you know where your tools are because there are many great items to use in crazy creative ways you haven’t even imagined! For instance, here are five ways to make window shutters into home décor (FYI there are many more ways than only these!):

1. Shutter Bulletin Board

2. Shutter Console Table

3. Shutter Headboard

4. Shutter Shelf Iron Brackets

5. Shutter Wall Clock

Window shutters can be used in so many ways to decorate your home! Well there’s definitely more ways and you can learn about them here.

Just like the window shutter example, you can find many items in your community thrift stores to decorate your home with without burning a hole in your wallet.

ThriftWorks is right here in St. Cloud and there are many cool items that can be used to makeover your home. Look at some of these cool items you can find in our store. 

Put down your remote control and put on your creative thinking hat! It’s your time to start having your own home design fun! 

April Specials at ThriftWorks!

See how you can save this month at ThriftWorks! 

Spring Cleaning Gone Thrifty

Spring is near and it's always a good idea to get a head start on your spring cleaning list. When going through each room, you will likely come across objects you either forgot you had or don't have a use for anymore. Consider donating those items to a good cause. WACOSA's onsite thrift store, ThriftWorks!, is always looking for donations. 

ThriftWorks! accepts the following items:
· Women’s, men’s and children’s clothing & shoes
· Books, movies, games
· Toys
· Small household appliances
· Housewares
· Jewelry & accessories
· Linen & bedding
· Tools
· Furniture (only after reviewed and approved)

Make cleaning an exciting time by getting the whole family involved. Have your teens go through their closet, the little ones go through their toy room, and dads go through their tool shed. Let them know you will be donating their unwanted things to a good cause and it will be easier and and more rewarding experience.

Make separate piles of objects you know you want to keep, the things you maybe want to keep, and the things you for sure want to donate Once you're done with that, sort through your “maybe” piles with the whole family and it will take votes on what should stay and what should go.

By the time your spring cleaning is complete, you will have at least one thing to donate, we guarantee it.

  

Once your cleaning is finished, relax and feel good about making a donation to a place like ThriftWorks!.

Happy Spring Cleaning!