February 16, 2021

The Perfect Coincidence: EveryStep Giving Tree Thrift Store Volunteer Nonda Yates

A few months after moving back to Iowa from St. Louis, Nonda Yates was standing in line at the post office in Urbandale. While waiting her turn, she looked out the window and spied EveryStep Giving Tree thrift store across the street.

"I like thrift shopping and knew I wanted to check it out," she recalls of first visiting the thrift store. "When I walked in, I thought 'I want to volunteer here.'"

It was the perfect coincidence: Nonda was recently retired and looking for something to fill her time. Volunteering at EveryStep Giving Tree was the perfect fit.

That was nearly four years ago. Today, Nonda spends three days a week - or about 12 hours total - volunteering at the store. 

She's become a jack-of-all-trades at the store, running the register, sorting donations, pricing items or any other task that needs to be completed. 

But her favorite part of volunteering is visiting with others. 

"I really enjoy talking to people and other volunteers," she said. "This is my social outlet." 

She's always amazed when people first visit the store. 

"They are always really impressed with the layout and the things we have," she said. 

Nonda recommends that anyone looking to volunteer in the community consider EveryStep. 

"It's giving back to a great cause," she said. "And it's a fun place to volunteer." 

For those concerned about volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nonda notes that she, personally, feels safe at the store as there are several precautions in place. 

"I feel safe here," she said. "We wear masks, social distance, take temperatures and limit the number of people shopping."

If you're interested in volunteer opportunities with EveryStep Giving Tree thrift store, visit our website and complete our volunteer application.