When holiday shopping, it’s easy to head to a big-box store and check an item off someone’s wish list. For the more creative shoppers who enjoy the thrill of the treasure hunt and the idea of buying something with a story behind it, however, there’s plenty of opportunity in Vancouver to do good.
Several stores around the county act as the business arm for local charities, while others give a portion of their profits to benefit various causes.
Friends of the Carpenter
• The Friends of the Carpenter sells products made from reclaimed wood. The faith-based organization is known for its crosses, which can be simple or carved with intricate designs, but the west Vancouver warehouse also creates toys, cutting boards, boxes, bowls, bottle stoppers, pepper grinders and rolling pins. More popular items, like ornaments, sell out quickly.
“These are all manually made. Nothing comes out of a machine,” said CJ Haney, activity coordinator at Friends of the Carpenter.
People can peruse the stock on hand at the warehouse or look through the catalog on the website and order any item that they want made. The sales directly support the nonprofit’s mission: giving people a safe, productive place to be during the day.
Address: 1600 W. 20th St.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Divine Consign
• When people consign home furnishings and decor at Divine Consign in downtown Vancouver, they can designate a portion of the proceeds to go to a local charity. Otherwise, the money goes into a general fund that Divine Consign then disperses through grants. The nonprofit has donated money to more than 200 community organizations, said Linda Glover, executive director.
A used furniture store might seem like an offbeat place to buy a holiday gift, but nestled among the bed frames and tables are smaller items such as China sets, decorative pillows, mirrors, end tables, framed art and vases.
“There’s unique pieces that you just don’t find at other furniture stores,” Glover said.
The store also has a section of new items called Divine Gifts, where you’ll find candles, Christmas tree ornaments and rugs. In the basement, there’s a boutique of women’s clothing and jewelry. If shopping stirs up some hunger, the store also sells cupcakes.
Address: 904 Main St.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Boomerang
• Boomerang is similar to Divine Consign in that it sells used home furnishings and decor, with some proceeds going to local charities. A chalkboard at the front of the store keeps a tally of how much money has gone back to community organizations. The store has an edgy vibe, selling gift items such as post-apocalyptic-style candle holders and local artwork made with reclaimed materials.
There’s a coffee shop inside the store, so people can sip a seasonal peppermint drink while browsing.
The store carries Tragic Hope Apparel, a local company that makes T-shirts with inspiring messages such as “Love Never Fails” (the name of the company’s charitable arm). Ten dollars from every T-shirt sold goes to orphans at Ebenezer Grace Children’s Home in Sidama, Ethiopia. In Boomerang’s basement, there’s more furniture and a turnstile of Empower Up items, such as upcycled RCA video/stereo cables and AV power cords — a fitting addition to a shiny new electronic gift.
Address: 808 Main St.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Empower Up
• For more refurbished electronics, head to Empower Up’s store in Vancouver. Consider stopping by after the gift-giving season to drop off old electronics for recycling.
Address: 5000 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
ReTails Thrift Store
• Next door to Empower Up is ReTails, a thrift store owned and operated by the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. For the holiday season, the store puts a year’s worth of Christmas and holiday-themed donations into a special boutique in the back of the store. There are trees, lights, decor, stockings — a little bit of everything.
“It’s been really well-received,” said Denise Barr, marketing director. “We get a lot of things donated to us that are still in packages and brand new.”
True to the mission of the Humane Society, there are usually three adoptable cats that live in the store. This year, more than 100 cats have been adopted from ReTails, Barr said.
At ReTails and at the animal shelter in east Vancouver, there are gifts people can buy for their pets, such as toys, treats and colorful leashes. People can also gift pet adoption cards, which cover at least a portion of adoption costs. Proceeds from the thrift store and the store inside the shelter go back to the animals.
Address: 5000 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
The bookstore at the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center
• All of the proceeds from the bookstore at the visitor center go to education and interpretive programs at Fort Vancouver.
“Everything in the shop has interpretive value that relates to the site,” said Mary Rose, a member of Friends of Fort Vancouver.
They carry canned salmon, honey and salt, which all relate to the Hudson Bay Company’s booming salmon-curing business in the 1830s, which supplemented the fur trade.
Rose said people are pleased with the way the updated store looks and the unusual gifts it carries, such as calligraphy pens, leather trade bags, bead work, baskets and Pendleton Woolen Mill products. There are plenty of vintage books related to the historic site, the Victorian era and the fur trade for any history buff needing a gift.
Through the end of December, the store will carry artwork by Lillian Pitt, a Native American artist who makes masks, jewelry and statuettes.
Address: 1501 E. Evergreen Blvd.
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Clark County Historical Museum
• The Clark County Historical Museum, like the Fort Vancouver bookstore, carries products related to the exhibits. The museum also carries Lillian Pitt artwork, so if you can’t find what you want at the fort’s store, it may be here. There are Native baskets and bead work, jewelry and lots of books about the Northwest. Posters of historic downtown Vancouver are a popular and cheap gift at $5 each, said Keith Lohse, administrative assistant at the museum.
All of the proceeds go back to the museum’s general fund, so the more store sales the better, Lohse said. The museum looks to pull together funds to have “One November Morning,” a traveling exhibit of Native American artwork, come to the museum this winter.
Address: 1511 Main St.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
