Final Auto Saved)
Content
Ryan Donnelly English 102 Nicole Williams
The Salvation Army Thrift Store OVERVIEW While many people know of thrift stores, few dare to set foot in one. There is a common belief that thrift stores are places where lower-class people go to buy lower-class clothes. They picture a store packed with clothes, no order or arrangement, just fitting in as many clothes as they can. An even bigger misconception is the quality; used clothes to many people puts a dirty image in their mind. The raw idea of wearing clothes that someone already wore disgusts most upper-class people. The fact is that some thrift stores may live up to their reputation, but the Salvation Army does not. The Salvation Army is such a large name in the thrift store industry that it simply must have the highest quality in order to raise the standards and change the bad reputation of secondhand stores. Our Family Stores provide quality clothing, furniture and other goods to the community at bargain prices. The Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Centers are 100% funded from the proceeds of our Family Stores, allowing them to be selfsustaining. A major part of the men's and women's involvement in their own rehabilitation is Work Therapy. Some of this is done in the Family Stores allowing them to regain self-esteem and learn valuable vocational skills as well. They have only high quality merchandise for sale there; everything is clean and nicely hung on racks. Along with discount prices the Salvation Army also offers many supportive services to those in need.
Although I was not familiar with the culture of the Salvation Army, I had experienced it before. I have been shopping there a couple of times at numerous locations; all resulting in awesome clothes and awesome experiences. In the few times that I have visited, I felt welcomed and at ease. The environment was peaceful and laidback along with the people there. Everyone was going about their business, shopping and such. Upon entry we were greeted with a smile and a friendly hello. Going about our shopping we were typical teenagers, playing with the toys and picking out the ridiculous clothes. When we found a purse that was unique to say the least and were debating whether to buy it or not, a woman overheard our conversation and helped us decide. She was very cheerful and was shopping with her two sons. Some of the other people we saw were less talkative and were just interested in their shopping, and others were just plain odd. I believe that I fit into this culture quite well. I know that there are far more possibilities and styles to look for shopping here as opposed to in Wal-Mart. Not only is the selection superior, but the prices are as well; it costs anywhere from $1-$5 for a shirt that might cost $20 at a retail store. And I haven t even mentioned what you are supporting when you pay for these. At Wal-Mart or any other major chain store all you are doing is further supporting the inhumane ways to lower prices as well as forming monopolies. The Salvation Army actually does well with the profit it makes. Their profits go to support important causes; some of these include missing persons, prisoner rehabilitation, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and fighting of human trafficking.
My family is of lower-middle class status; so like many others, try to save money where possible. The Salvation Army sells whatever you need at prices that you are more than happy to pay, and you can feel good while doing it. Some people are scared by the idea of wearing something that someone else once did. Growing up as the younger child in the family, I always got hand-me-downs to wear and thought nothing of it. My family also periodically donated clothing. I m not saying I would wear anything in that store, but the majority of it is within reason. LAY OF THE LAND The setup inside is simple; there are aisles of clothes to walk through just like in clothing stores, and it is divided into men s and woman s sides of the store. Naturally, the woman s side is about twice the size of the men s, but that doesn t mean that there is any lack of clothing selection for the guys. With so many clothes one might worry about organization when looking for a particular style or color. This is no problem at the Salvation Army. Every item of clothing on their racks is sorted by gender, style, and on top of all of that, color. I picked this location because the store itself interests me; there is an endless assortment of whatever you may or may not need. The raw idea of such a variety draws in people of all different backgrounds, each bringing a small aspect of their culture to the greater picture. What I have seen on my trips to the store has painted a picture to help in understanding the underlying culture. On our first visit to the Salvation Army thrift store my friends and I had set out adventuring for cheep and unique Halloween costumes. Naturally we decided to make our own and this was the only place that we could afford or find the ridiculous
clothes that we needed. We used Google maps to find the location and set out just after noon; it was only a few blocks away from Bridgewater State University, our college, so we decided to walk. When we got close to our destination when we got confused; we had arrived by the directions of my phone but all that was around us were houses and a small bank. We then turned the corner to a white warehouse looking building with no sign and a small parking lot. This was nothing like the other Salvation Army stores that I had been to, and I was a bit surprised at the covert appearance. We walked inside glad to be in from the cold and wet weather and were greeted nicely by a middle aged woman behind the counter. There was nothing fancy about this place, linoleum tiles and a cheap looking removable ceiling with fluorescent lights installed made a gloomy atmosphere. The setup inside is simple, there were aisles of clothes racks set up like a typical clothing store. I soon figured out that it was also divided into men s and woman s sections on opposite sides of the store with a small children s section behind the men s; there was a majority of woman s clothes, taking up nearly double the size of the other. The various garments were also classified by type or style and sorted by color. With so many options I had no idea where to start, I decided to walk up and down the aisles to browse the selection. At the back of the store on one side there was a section for old VHS tapes and children s clothes, while at the other back side there was an assortment of appliances, toys, pictures, and other random oddities. The appliance section is where I started as it was the easiest to look through. There was everything from old televisions to waffle irons and those really old exercise equipments. It was apparent that these were not modern items, as many people well know there is an
immensely different style of design in our current day items. The general state of things was bulky and square; the hinges creaked and the latches didn t latch. It smelled like one would expect an attic or old person s home to smell; the air was stagnant with a light musty smell. Although the smell was noticeable upon entry it dissipated from my senses soon after. There was a wide variety of people working there; the woman at the register wasn t exactly old, but she didn t have her younger qualities any more. She was very plainly dressed and polite which brought out her seniority; she had a very average haircut with some modest jewelry. I would have guessed that she was in her late 30 s by her appearance and her tone. All the employees there seemed to be extremely happy and nice; even when I mistakenly wandered into their back room which was just a sectioned off area with a white sheet hung over one side. I quickly realized that I wasn t supposed to be there when all it was turned out to be a lot of boxes and a few younger looking people doing some light work; they just smiled and said hi while I turned and left. CUSTOMERS Finding subjects for interviews at the Salvation Army thrift store is more than easy. Almost everyone in the store is so friendly, willing to talk and share information with a smile. I ve interviewed a variety of people; some being customers, some being employees, and have even conversed with a group of young teenagers hanging around outside. While some of these provided more information leading to the inner workings of the store, they all helped create a broad picture of the culture that is present there. Any interaction is helpful to further understand the people there; a person that is eager to share their stories and history with the
store is just as helpful as another person who hastily turns you down with an angry look on his face. If correctly analyzed, the latter s body language, tone, and facial expression can build an entire story by itself, giving much needed information. The customers there were unique. When I arrived they were having a slow day so it wasn t packed. There was an older man looking at pants when I passed by, he was very serious looking and was not making eye contact so I did not start a conversation. Later when my girlfriend and I were looking at silly purses, an older lady in her late 40 s over heard part of our conversation and decided to help us pick one out. Her hair was curly gray and shoulder length; she was also a mother of a young girl. She was making jokes with us and helped us decide on an interesting quilted purse. The customers are half of what makes the Salvation Army what it is. When asked if there is any connection with other customers one woman said that she sees people that I recognize almost every time I come here, especially on Wednesdays. She was middle aged, as most of the customers who shop here are, and was an about 5 8 with a heavy set figure. By no means was she fat or overweight but she clearly was not an exercise enthusiast. Her hair was moderately short, about neck length, and was dark brown. She tightly grasped a purse in both hands as she talked but as the interview continued she seemed to loosen up and become less tense. She went on to describe the interactions between customers. She was sure to emphasize how friendly people are and how easy it is to talk to anyone. She said that she has a sort of salvation army relationship with a few people, meaning that they see each other there often and converse but aren t actually friends.
As I entered the store on a later visit there was a man arriving at the same time, he said hello and commented on our longboards. He looked to be in his early 40 s and had a very messy appearance and had a scruffy face that was hardened yet had a dazed look. After shopping for a bit I reconnected with him and asked if I could interview him about his shopping habits. He was not willing to give out his name or age so I started the interview. I started by questioning him about his shopping habits. I learned that he had been here only 3 times before although he used to go to one in a different town. I questioned his reasons for coming to the store and he seemed a bit confused by the question so I prodded a little, asking what kind of stuff he looked for while here. Still slightly confused he said cause they have cheep stuff, and good stuff . I moved on to asking about his previous experiences at this branch of the Salvation Army. He was quick to answer and kept his response short sort of repeating the answer to the first question, I then specified my question in regards to the employees. Still making haste he said that they were all nice people and that they kept everything very neat. I sensed that he wasn t exactly thrilled to be getting interviewed by his body language. He wasn t looking me in the eye or even at me; his gaze shifted around the store and made it obvious that he was not interested. Realizing this concluded my interview with a question asking if he had taken advantage of any sales or promotions that they held there. He just responded with shoes; they have good shoes . Accepting that as a reasonable answer I moved on to continue shopping through old VHS tapes with my friends. As I was reviewing my answers and thinking about who to interview next a man who worked there came over while stocking the shelves, said hi and asked how we were doing. He was slightly larger than me with chocolate black skin and was about the same height (5 7 );
there were scars all over his face and hands and he talked in a slightly low voice but was very enthusiastic about what he had to say. I saw this as the perfect opportunity for an interview, his friendly gestures and kind voice practically signed himself up. Realizing I hadn t prepared any questions to ask employees yet I sort of winged it. I found out that his name is Norris from his name badge and asked how long he has been working there. He thought for a minute and said that he had probably been working there for four years. I continued to question about the nature of his job. He explained that he uses the big carts in the back to bring clothes out and put them on the racks, sorted by color, size, etc. As well as clothes, he also keeps the bric-abrac section neat along with the toys and appliances. He then showed me how he also takes the clothes that are partially off the hangers and fixes them to make the overall appearance of the store nicer. As he went through the job description I noticed that Norris does exactly what the other man I interviewed was complimenting the store on; they are all nice people and that they kept everything very neat . I moved to my next question and asked why he chose to work here. He simply responded with I ve got nowhere else to go, although he is still looking for a higher paying job to support his family. He has a wife and two kids; he mentioned that one of them was 18, just a year younger than me and is expecting another quite soon. Being polite I decided to lean away from his personal life or anything that didn t directly relate to the store but he brought up the topic. He asked me if I was wondering where he got his scars. I was honest and said that I was a bit curious. He told me a story about how when he was little he was in a house fire and he barely made it out. Slightly in shock I said that I was sorry for the loss but it s amazing that he made it out alive. He went on to tell me another story about his past, about his friends and how he took the path out to a drug free life. Not exactly knowing how to
respond I said that it was quite a story and that it is good that he found his way out. Trying to get back on topic I asked how the relationship amongst employees was. He said that it was almost like a family; they treat each other very well and are understanding. As I was vigorously typing all this information into my phone s notepad, for lack of paper, I noticed the time and realized that I had to wrap up the interview with Norris. I asked him when I could find him here again and he gave me his hours. As I was about to turn away he quickly asked if I believed in a higher power. I am not very religious so I hesitated and said some of the time. He said that he believes in a god that is present all the time, but he is not dedicated to church. With that I bid him farewell and my friends and I made out purchases of some old VHSs from our childhood. ARTIFACTS/CUSTOMS It is more than easy to find artifacts when looking around. Almost everything they have in the store is an artifact in some way; people donate things that are related in no way at all and every one of them works together to create a certain culture. In the section for odds and ends there was a set of little ceramic ninjas, I feel like these are artifacts that help contribute to the selection as a whole. Another example is the purse that we found earlier. A lot of the meaning that comes from these artifacts is related to their previous owners. Although some have more meaning that others, when they become donated they take on a whole new meaning with remnants of their old ones attached. Although some things are less useful than others they reveal something deeper about the culture while providing a laugh. For example we stumbled upon a coffee mug with a graphic of a woman holding a ruler, the mug said You re everything I need, give or take a few inches. In a higher class culture this may be considered vulgar or in
bad taste, however within the culture of the Salvation Army this is considered normal. In another instance we came across an electronic toy with a red button on it. When we pressed the button it started spewing out terrible pickup lines. This as well as many other similar things could have the same thing said of them; funny to some not to others. While the store is loaded with this type of thing, there are also far more useful things that influence a whole different feeling. There were average things such as waffle makers, irons, and golf clubs. These contribute to the culture of practical items sold there. There are people that come there solely to browse that section; they may or may not need any clothes, but there are many household items they might need that are still in great condition; as well as many that are useless but are great for lightening the mood. There are a number of customs present; however they don t have any customs that are too obvious to newcomers. Every Wednesday there is a half off sale on most items in the store. I haven t interviewed people or observed this event, but I suspect that there are customers that make a ritual or a point to come on Wednesday to shop or to just look around. There is also a discount of 20% for students of Bridgewater State University. This shows that they are trying to attract new customers and make a custom for them to come back. While I was there I noticed a lady carrying her small dog around in her arms; this is a unique custom to allow pets in the store because many places don t. The way that they wrap and package items is also a custom that is significant of the store. They recycle old newspapers by using them to protect their breakables and this is defiantly recognized by their customers whether they know it or not. They also use recycled plastic bags from other stores to package items together. These little
customs of packaging make people feel at home when shopping because they know exactly what to expect and it also maintains the secondhand nature of their business. THE FINAL PICTURE After further research I discovered that the Salvation Army is a highly religious organization. They believe in god and believe that they do work to help others in god s eyes. They are a Christian group that gives back to society with the profits that they make in their stores and through donations. The Salvation Army's eleven articles of faith reflect our determination to remain faithful to our standards and principles. All members of The Salvation Army are encouraged to review these principles from time to time and to reaffirm before God their dedication to Him and to His good works. While they promote Christianity they don t force it; they won t hassle you while shopping for your beliefs, instead they humbly ask for help while they do good for the world in the name of the church. They put their earnings towards causes such as prisoner and drug rehabilitation, disaster relief, youth centers, fighting human trafficking, elderly services, and anti-pornography. While these are only some of the ways that they help, they do an amazing job at everything they do. Along with religious values they also have a strong sense of family there. Whether it is between employees or customers, everyone treats one another like family. If someone is having a hard time or just looking to make a light conversation while shopping I m sure that it wouldn t be hard to find a good friend. Everyone is welcomed in this culture, it is a haven for people to come and shop and be loved. No matter what personality or mood someone holds as they walk in the door, they will not be looked down on or discriminated against.
The Salvation Army Thrift Store OVERVIEW While many people know of thrift stores, few dare to set foot in one. There is a common belief that thrift stores are places where lower-class people go to buy lower-class clothes. They picture a store packed with clothes, no order or arrangement, just fitting in as many clothes as they can. An even bigger misconception is the quality; used clothes to many people puts a dirty image in their mind. The raw idea of wearing clothes that someone already wore disgusts most upper-class people. The fact is that some thrift stores may live up to their reputation, but the Salvation Army does not. The Salvation Army is such a large name in the thrift store industry that it simply must have the highest quality in order to raise the standards and change the bad reputation of secondhand stores. Our Family Stores provide quality clothing, furniture and other goods to the community at bargain prices. The Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Centers are 100% funded from the proceeds of our Family Stores, allowing them to be selfsustaining. A major part of the men's and women's involvement in their own rehabilitation is Work Therapy. Some of this is done in the Family Stores allowing them to regain self-esteem and learn valuable vocational skills as well. They have only high quality merchandise for sale there; everything is clean and nicely hung on racks. Along with discount prices the Salvation Army also offers many supportive services to those in need.
Although I was not familiar with the culture of the Salvation Army, I had experienced it before. I have been shopping there a couple of times at numerous locations; all resulting in awesome clothes and awesome experiences. In the few times that I have visited, I felt welcomed and at ease. The environment was peaceful and laidback along with the people there. Everyone was going about their business, shopping and such. Upon entry we were greeted with a smile and a friendly hello. Going about our shopping we were typical teenagers, playing with the toys and picking out the ridiculous clothes. When we found a purse that was unique to say the least and were debating whether to buy it or not, a woman overheard our conversation and helped us decide. She was very cheerful and was shopping with her two sons. Some of the other people we saw were less talkative and were just interested in their shopping, and others were just plain odd. I believe that I fit into this culture quite well. I know that there are far more possibilities and styles to look for shopping here as opposed to in Wal-Mart. Not only is the selection superior, but the prices are as well; it costs anywhere from $1-$5 for a shirt that might cost $20 at a retail store. And I haven t even mentioned what you are supporting when you pay for these. At Wal-Mart or any other major chain store all you are doing is further supporting the inhumane ways to lower prices as well as forming monopolies. The Salvation Army actually does well with the profit it makes. Their profits go to support important causes; some of these include missing persons, prisoner rehabilitation, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and fighting of human trafficking.
My family is of lower-middle class status; so like many others, try to save money where possible. The Salvation Army sells whatever you need at prices that you are more than happy to pay, and you can feel good while doing it. Some people are scared by the idea of wearing something that someone else once did. Growing up as the younger child in the family, I always got hand-me-downs to wear and thought nothing of it. My family also periodically donated clothing. I m not saying I would wear anything in that store, but the majority of it is within reason. LAY OF THE LAND The setup inside is simple; there are aisles of clothes to walk through just like in clothing stores, and it is divided into men s and woman s sides of the store. Naturally, the woman s side is about twice the size of the men s, but that doesn t mean that there is any lack of clothing selection for the guys. With so many clothes one might worry about organization when looking for a particular style or color. This is no problem at the Salvation Army. Every item of clothing on their racks is sorted by gender, style, and on top of all of that, color. I picked this location because the store itself interests me; there is an endless assortment of whatever you may or may not need. The raw idea of such a variety draws in people of all different backgrounds, each bringing a small aspect of their culture to the greater picture. What I have seen on my trips to the store has painted a picture to help in understanding the underlying culture. On our first visit to the Salvation Army thrift store my friends and I had set out adventuring for cheep and unique Halloween costumes. Naturally we decided to make our own and this was the only place that we could afford or find the ridiculous
clothes that we needed. We used Google maps to find the location and set out just after noon; it was only a few blocks away from Bridgewater State University, our college, so we decided to walk. When we got close to our destination when we got confused; we had arrived by the directions of my phone but all that was around us were houses and a small bank. We then turned the corner to a white warehouse looking building with no sign and a small parking lot. This was nothing like the other Salvation Army stores that I had been to, and I was a bit surprised at the covert appearance. We walked inside glad to be in from the cold and wet weather and were greeted nicely by a middle aged woman behind the counter. There was nothing fancy about this place, linoleum tiles and a cheap looking removable ceiling with fluorescent lights installed made a gloomy atmosphere. The setup inside is simple, there were aisles of clothes racks set up like a typical clothing store. I soon figured out that it was also divided into men s and woman s sections on opposite sides of the store with a small children s section behind the men s; there was a majority of woman s clothes, taking up nearly double the size of the other. The various garments were also classified by type or style and sorted by color. With so many options I had no idea where to start, I decided to walk up and down the aisles to browse the selection. At the back of the store on one side there was a section for old VHS tapes and children s clothes, while at the other back side there was an assortment of appliances, toys, pictures, and other random oddities. The appliance section is where I started as it was the easiest to look through. There was everything from old televisions to waffle irons and those really old exercise equipments. It was apparent that these were not modern items, as many people well know there is an
immensely different style of design in our current day items. The general state of things was bulky and square; the hinges creaked and the latches didn t latch. It smelled like one would expect an attic or old person s home to smell; the air was stagnant with a light musty smell. Although the smell was noticeable upon entry it dissipated from my senses soon after. There was a wide variety of people working there; the woman at the register wasn t exactly old, but she didn t have her younger qualities any more. She was very plainly dressed and polite which brought out her seniority; she had a very average haircut with some modest jewelry. I would have guessed that she was in her late 30 s by her appearance and her tone. All the employees there seemed to be extremely happy and nice; even when I mistakenly wandered into their back room which was just a sectioned off area with a white sheet hung over one side. I quickly realized that I wasn t supposed to be there when all it was turned out to be a lot of boxes and a few younger looking people doing some light work; they just smiled and said hi while I turned and left. CUSTOMERS Finding subjects for interviews at the Salvation Army thrift store is more than easy. Almost everyone in the store is so friendly, willing to talk and share information with a smile. I ve interviewed a variety of people; some being customers, some being employees, and have even conversed with a group of young teenagers hanging around outside. While some of these provided more information leading to the inner workings of the store, they all helped create a broad picture of the culture that is present there. Any interaction is helpful to further understand the people there; a person that is eager to share their stories and history with the
store is just as helpful as another person who hastily turns you down with an angry look on his face. If correctly analyzed, the latter s body language, tone, and facial expression can build an entire story by itself, giving much needed information. The customers there were unique. When I arrived they were having a slow day so it wasn t packed. There was an older man looking at pants when I passed by, he was very serious looking and was not making eye contact so I did not start a conversation. Later when my girlfriend and I were looking at silly purses, an older lady in her late 40 s over heard part of our conversation and decided to help us pick one out. Her hair was curly gray and shoulder length; she was also a mother of a young girl. She was making jokes with us and helped us decide on an interesting quilted purse. The customers are half of what makes the Salvation Army what it is. When asked if there is any connection with other customers one woman said that she sees people that I recognize almost every time I come here, especially on Wednesdays. She was middle aged, as most of the customers who shop here are, and was an about 5 8 with a heavy set figure. By no means was she fat or overweight but she clearly was not an exercise enthusiast. Her hair was moderately short, about neck length, and was dark brown. She tightly grasped a purse in both hands as she talked but as the interview continued she seemed to loosen up and become less tense. She went on to describe the interactions between customers. She was sure to emphasize how friendly people are and how easy it is to talk to anyone. She said that she has a sort of salvation army relationship with a few people, meaning that they see each other there often and converse but aren t actually friends.
As I entered the store on a later visit there was a man arriving at the same time, he said hello and commented on our longboards. He looked to be in his early 40 s and had a very messy appearance and had a scruffy face that was hardened yet had a dazed look. After shopping for a bit I reconnected with him and asked if I could interview him about his shopping habits. He was not willing to give out his name or age so I started the interview. I started by questioning him about his shopping habits. I learned that he had been here only 3 times before although he used to go to one in a different town. I questioned his reasons for coming to the store and he seemed a bit confused by the question so I prodded a little, asking what kind of stuff he looked for while here. Still slightly confused he said cause they have cheep stuff, and good stuff . I moved on to asking about his previous experiences at this branch of the Salvation Army. He was quick to answer and kept his response short sort of repeating the answer to the first question, I then specified my question in regards to the employees. Still making haste he said that they were all nice people and that they kept everything very neat. I sensed that he wasn t exactly thrilled to be getting interviewed by his body language. He wasn t looking me in the eye or even at me; his gaze shifted around the store and made it obvious that he was not interested. Realizing this concluded my interview with a question asking if he had taken advantage of any sales or promotions that they held there. He just responded with shoes; they have good shoes . Accepting that as a reasonable answer I moved on to continue shopping through old VHS tapes with my friends. As I was reviewing my answers and thinking about who to interview next a man who worked there came over while stocking the shelves, said hi and asked how we were doing. He was slightly larger than me with chocolate black skin and was about the same height (5 7 );
there were scars all over his face and hands and he talked in a slightly low voice but was very enthusiastic about what he had to say. I saw this as the perfect opportunity for an interview, his friendly gestures and kind voice practically signed himself up. Realizing I hadn t prepared any questions to ask employees yet I sort of winged it. I found out that his name is Norris from his name badge and asked how long he has been working there. He thought for a minute and said that he had probably been working there for four years. I continued to question about the nature of his job. He explained that he uses the big carts in the back to bring clothes out and put them on the racks, sorted by color, size, etc. As well as clothes, he also keeps the bric-abrac section neat along with the toys and appliances. He then showed me how he also takes the clothes that are partially off the hangers and fixes them to make the overall appearance of the store nicer. As he went through the job description I noticed that Norris does exactly what the other man I interviewed was complimenting the store on; they are all nice people and that they kept everything very neat . I moved to my next question and asked why he chose to work here. He simply responded with I ve got nowhere else to go, although he is still looking for a higher paying job to support his family. He has a wife and two kids; he mentioned that one of them was 18, just a year younger than me and is expecting another quite soon. Being polite I decided to lean away from his personal life or anything that didn t directly relate to the store but he brought up the topic. He asked me if I was wondering where he got his scars. I was honest and said that I was a bit curious. He told me a story about how when he was little he was in a house fire and he barely made it out. Slightly in shock I said that I was sorry for the loss but it s amazing that he made it out alive. He went on to tell me another story about his past, about his friends and how he took the path out to a drug free life. Not exactly knowing how to
respond I said that it was quite a story and that it is good that he found his way out. Trying to get back on topic I asked how the relationship amongst employees was. He said that it was almost like a family; they treat each other very well and are understanding. As I was vigorously typing all this information into my phone s notepad, for lack of paper, I noticed the time and realized that I had to wrap up the interview with Norris. I asked him when I could find him here again and he gave me his hours. As I was about to turn away he quickly asked if I believed in a higher power. I am not very religious so I hesitated and said some of the time. He said that he believes in a god that is present all the time, but he is not dedicated to church. With that I bid him farewell and my friends and I made out purchases of some old VHSs from our childhood. ARTIFACTS/CUSTOMS It is more than easy to find artifacts when looking around. Almost everything they have in the store is an artifact in some way; people donate things that are related in no way at all and every one of them works together to create a certain culture. In the section for odds and ends there was a set of little ceramic ninjas, I feel like these are artifacts that help contribute to the selection as a whole. Another example is the purse that we found earlier. A lot of the meaning that comes from these artifacts is related to their previous owners. Although some have more meaning that others, when they become donated they take on a whole new meaning with remnants of their old ones attached. Although some things are less useful than others they reveal something deeper about the culture while providing a laugh. For example we stumbled upon a coffee mug with a graphic of a woman holding a ruler, the mug said You re everything I need, give or take a few inches. In a higher class culture this may be considered vulgar or in
bad taste, however within the culture of the Salvation Army this is considered normal. In another instance we came across an electronic toy with a red button on it. When we pressed the button it started spewing out terrible pickup lines. This as well as many other similar things could have the same thing said of them; funny to some not to others. While the store is loaded with this type of thing, there are also far more useful things that influence a whole different feeling. There were average things such as waffle makers, irons, and golf clubs. These contribute to the culture of practical items sold there. There are people that come there solely to browse that section; they may or may not need any clothes, but there are many household items they might need that are still in great condition; as well as many that are useless but are great for lightening the mood. There are a number of customs present; however they don t have any customs that are too obvious to newcomers. Every Wednesday there is a half off sale on most items in the store. I haven t interviewed people or observed this event, but I suspect that there are customers that make a ritual or a point to come on Wednesday to shop or to just look around. There is also a discount of 20% for students of Bridgewater State University. This shows that they are trying to attract new customers and make a custom for them to come back. While I was there I noticed a lady carrying her small dog around in her arms; this is a unique custom to allow pets in the store because many places don t. The way that they wrap and package items is also a custom that is significant of the store. They recycle old newspapers by using them to protect their breakables and this is defiantly recognized by their customers whether they know it or not. They also use recycled plastic bags from other stores to package items together. These little
customs of packaging make people feel at home when shopping because they know exactly what to expect and it also maintains the secondhand nature of their business. THE FINAL PICTURE After further research I discovered that the Salvation Army is a highly religious organization. They believe in god and believe that they do work to help others in god s eyes. They are a Christian group that gives back to society with the profits that they make in their stores and through donations. The Salvation Army's eleven articles of faith reflect our determination to remain faithful to our standards and principles. All members of The Salvation Army are encouraged to review these principles from time to time and to reaffirm before God their dedication to Him and to His good works. While they promote Christianity they don t force it; they won t hassle you while shopping for your beliefs, instead they humbly ask for help while they do good for the world in the name of the church. They put their earnings towards causes such as prisoner and drug rehabilitation, disaster relief, youth centers, fighting human trafficking, elderly services, and anti-pornography. While these are only some of the ways that they help, they do an amazing job at everything they do. Along with religious values they also have a strong sense of family there. Whether it is between employees or customers, everyone treats one another like family. If someone is having a hard time or just looking to make a light conversation while shopping I m sure that it wouldn t be hard to find a good friend. Everyone is welcomed in this culture, it is a haven for people to come and shop and be loved. No matter what personality or mood someone holds as they walk in the door, they will not be looked down on or discriminated against.
