Category: Blog

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

Name: Jennifer

Do you shop, donate or volunteer?
I work here.

How long have you been working at Philly AIDS Thrift?
Three years.

What keeps you coming back to our store?
Paycheck. Just kidding. There’s great people, it’s fun. There’s always great clothes, great deals. Things come in all the time.

What’s your favorite thing you bought here?
Probably the dress I wore to Black Tie Gay Bingo. It’s from the 50’s and it’s embroidered with metallic thread, and it has fringe on the bottom and it’s orange and yellow and black and it’s very beautiful.

What’s the #1 top played song on your iPod?
Do I have a top one right now? Arch & Point by Miguel.

How do you pass these long summer days?
I do projects. I actually use the weight* to make denim patchwork pieces. I’m having an art show of my denim patchwork pieces at the Red Hook Cafe starting July 25.

*We recycle everything here at Philly AIDS Thrift. Sometimes when we get clothing or fabric that can’t be sold, we sell it by the pound to rag companies. We refer to this as “weight.”

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I really like Cherry Garcia. But I also really like Phish Food and mint chocolate chip and cookies n cream. I like thinks with chunks of chocolate or marshmallow, but not Rocky Road.

What do you like or dislike most about our fair city?
There’s not enough trashcans. That’s what I don’t like the most. What I do like the most is that this is where most of my friends live!

Who was your high school crush?
I don’t want you to put it on the internet! He was my first crush. But he very well knows…

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Radiant Orchid!

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

Name: Alan

Do you shop, donate or volunteer?
I’ve done all three.

How long have you been with Philly AIDS Thrift?
It’s a long story, but let’s just say a year. It’s a really long story.

Just tell it.
So back in 2009, I moved to Philadelphia and I didn’t have a job and I didn’t know anybody. But I knew about this store through a friend. I started volunteering here, met a lot of wonderful people and eventually found a job. But my dream initially was that I was going to work really hard and then one day they would notice and they would give me a job to work here.

So, I was working at a restaurant and it was really hard work work so I couldn’t volunteer anymore. And now, you know, a million years later, my life is just totally different. I’m a student at UPenn and I found out that i can get a work study job here and I jumped on that.

And now your dream of being paid by Philly AIDS Thrift has come true!
It’s not an issue of money, it’s just that I get to…I’m so happy that the work I do helps other people rather than working at a restaurant. I feel fulfilled.

That’s great! Now speaking of fulfillment, what’s your favorite thing you bought here?
Earlier today, actually, I purchased an Irish passport! The woman was born in 1899 and moved to the United States in the 1930’s. I noticed the last name and called my mom because I thought I might be related to the person, but I wasn’t. I’m really happy about this, but you know, what are possessions? It doesn’t really matter.

What’s the #1 top played song on your iPod?
At the moment it’s If Loneliness Was Art by a band called Allo Darlin’.

How do you pass these long summer days?
I like taking long walks with my dog when I’m not here.

What was your favorite subject in school?
I always enjoyed English and…next question…

Speaking of the English, do you love or loathe Harry Potter. There is no in-between.
It’s funny because I’ve never read the books. I’ve seen a couple of the movies, but people are always talking about it. So I feel like I know the story and it’s a good story, but I really am just in-between.

So knowing there is no in-between, do you love or loather Harry Potter?
I really feel in-between about it.

There…can’t be an in-between…
Umm…so, I love it.

Great. Now if you could switch careers, would you?
I would interview people.

You would?
Yeah! I mean, you’re really good at it! What career would you switch to?

Haha…Well, this isn’t about me…Now if you could cast out one state from the Union, which state would it be and why?
Probably one of those states that doesn’t really exist like Montana or North Dakota. They’re not real!

And you have evidence of this?
Well, I’ve never been there.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

Name: Aimee

Do you shop, donate or volunteer?

I do all three!

How long have you been with Philly AIDS Thrift?

Since January 2013.

What’s your favorite thing you bought here?

Clothes.

Is there a certain item that stands out?

Everything!

What keeps you coming back to our store?

I have a fun time volunteering and meeting new people.

What’s your favorite song?

Hall & Oates – You Make My Dreams Come True

Do you have a favorite book?

The Giving Tree

How do you

feel about the new mural on the front of the building?

It’s nice and attractive. It’s good for the customers.

What do you think about the government shutdown and how could it have been avoided?

Ugh. I think this is a very sticky topic, but I don’t know.

Anderson Cooper had a lot to say about the shutdown. What do you think of Anderson Cooper? He’s kinda handsome, right?

He’s handsome, but I never watch his stuff.

Where was the last place you vacationed?

Florida to visit my sister.

Did you steal the little soaps from the hotel?

She lives in a house, so, no.

Have you ever been told you look like a certain celebrity?

No. haha. My mom told me I look like myself.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

This is Jan [ˈjan].

Jan is from Germany.

Jan came to do an internship with us in September. Jan went ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS6 back to Germany.

We miss Jan.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

Name: Anna Marie

Do you shop, donate or volunteer?

Shop, volunteer AND donate!

How long have you been volunteering with Philly AIDS Thrift?

Two years…just over.

What’s your favorite thing you bought

here?

Probably a pot, a

plant pot or something.

What was special about it?

Maybe the details. Maybe that it was old. And also probably a piece of jewelry, like sterling silver.

What keeps you coming back to our store?

Well I love the people, I love the place and I love the commotion and I love to be moving and busy. Yeah, I like it because that’s what this place is about.

Yeah, you look like you’re always busy.

Fast! I’m fast!

What’s the #1 top played song on your iPod?

I don’t have an iPod, but if I were going to play it, it would be Pharrell Williams’ Happy from Despicably Me 2.

Oh, I didn’t see that movie. Was it good?

I didn’t see the movie but I saw [Pharrell Williams] on Jimmy Kimmel two weeks ago. I’m in love!

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Maybe like a butter almond. No…butter pecan.

How do you pass these long, summer days?

Shopping at Philly AIDS Thrift!

Where it’s refreshingly air-conditioned! haha. Do you believe there are aliens out there?

I actually did a video on Do you believe in aliens? when I was at Temple. I went all around the city asking people questions. Do I believe in them? Probably based on interviewing people on that exact question, yes.

What did you go to school for?

Radio, television and film. School of Communications and Technology (SCAT) at Temple University.

And are you doing something with that now?
No!

I slum! haha. And I work at Cohen & Cohen Hardware, my beautiful store. We’re at 615 E Passyunk Ave and we sell hardware and
have been a family run business for a hundred years so come on down and see us, we make the best keys
in town!