The Et Cetera Shop is asking that you hold your clothing donations on Friday, July 18 and  Tuesday, July 22. You are welcome to bring other donations: housewares, purses, games/  puzzles, toys, fabric/sewing notions or small electronics on those days.

By Chrissy Lugibihl
Manager of the Et Cetera Shop

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? My mind is usually on food, so obviously yes, if  you eat too much of something good you will more than likely suffer in some way. Anything else?  

I have been the manager of the Et Cetera Shop in Bluffton for 20+ years. It is a gratifying, challenging and often physically exhausting job. The great news is that I am not working alone. I have around 90 faithful volunteers. The Et Cetera Shop is one of 85 shops in the Mennonite Central Committee Network throughout the United States and Canada. 

Our shop relies on donations. Bluffton and surrounding communities are very generous. Donations ebb and flow. We have found April and May to be low donation months, but in June donations explode. What a great problem to have, right? 

We have found that by limiting our donation days (Tuesdays & Fridays from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.) we are able to process items in a timely manner, except clothing. We have seen an uptick in clothing donations since moving to our current location at 327 North Main in September of 2019. Clothing and shoes make up half of what is donated.

We need a few days to  catch up with your generosity. We want to be able to treat your donations as the gift they are.