Extreme Makeover: Giving Tree Edition

“I love change,” EveryStep Giving Tree store manager Michele Bronson says.   

But her latest project at the store pushed that love of changing things to its limits.  “It was a lot.  A lot, a lot.  A lot.” 

On May 6th the Giving Tree thrift store at 3330 100th Street in Urbandale debuted a huge change to its customers.  Over the course of four days, Michele and a dedicated team of employees and volunteers gave the store an extreme makeover. 

Housewares, kitchen appliances, jewelry, seasonal merchandise, men’s and kids’ clothing, the checkout stand – even the ‘she shed’ – were moved, shuffled and rethought to bring a brand-new shopping experience to the store.  The result: wider aisles, more natural light and an increase in “shopability” throughout. 

The work wasn’t easy.  Michele and the team started after hours on Thursday night and continued Friday and Saturday from the 5:00 PM closing time until midnight – followed by a full 16 hours on Sunday while the store was closed.  After closing the store again on Monday to allow everyone to finally rest, the new space debuted on May 6th. 

“I came in this morning, and I literally was in awe,” Michele said on the first day of working in the newly finished space.  She couldn’t wait to share her excitement with co-workers and volunteers in the group chat.  “Their phones were blowing up,” she said.  As workers showed up for their shifts, they were greeted by Michele’s cell phone recording their first reactions to the new look.   

Michele hopes the makeover brings more attention to the hidden treasures that have been hiding in plain sight in the shop already.  “We needed to take the eyesores away from the ‘beauties’”, she says of the kitchen and bedroom pieces – her favorites in the store- that had previously been obscured in the former space. 

That includes a gorgeous cabinet housing collectibles at the front of the store, a piece she says a local carpenter has already assured her was ‘a steal’ at the price she bargained for.   

Customer reaction has been all positive so far, she says.  “I had some really good interactions with them. They’re all super excited.” 

The Giving Tree is open Monday through Saturday each week from 9:30 AM TO 5:00 PM. All proceeds from the store go towards programs administered by EveryStep to benefit patients, clients and their families.