Did you know we have an outlet store in Boise?
That’s right. It’s a bargain hunter’s paradise. Everything you didn’t know you needed, all in one place. If you thought thrift store shopping was fun, outlet thrift store shopping is exhilarating.
Have you noticed we have a store within a store at a few Idaho Youth Ranch locations in Boise? We like to call them “Ruby’s.”
One way we chose to honor our founder, Reverend James Crowe and his wife, Ruby Carey Crowe, was to dedicate space in several stores to showcase unique and antique donations.
Idaho Youth Ranch thrift stores are all about reducing, reusing, and recycling—that’s the essence of the thrift store business model. And what makes it all work? YOU, our awesome donors and customers. All over the state, generous Idahoans donate clothes, household items, furniture, and even cars to IYR thrift stores, simplifying their lives and reducing waste. Our customers shop our stores for great deals on that merchandise, reusing those donated items in hundreds of ways. And IYR recycles scrap material we can’t sell in our stores, keeping more than 2,500 tons of material from entering Idaho landfills every year.
Education is so critical to future success in life that an early love of learning, especially reading, is one of the biggest advantages a child can have. To make sure as many Idaho kids as possible get that opportunity, the Idaho Youth Ranch launched a new literacy program called “Ranch Readers” through its thrift stores in February 2013. The response has been tremendous--parents, teachers, store staff, and especially kids across the state are enthusiastically on board.
Everybody knows the Idaho Youth Ranch has fabulous thrift stores. But not everyone understands why we have those stores or what they're supporting when they shop with us or donate stuff we can sell. A few days ago, our store on Overland Road in Boise got a visit from an old friend who helped put it all into perspective. He stopped by to say "thanks" and store manager Stacie Price was happy to share this story:
Saturday May 17th is the Grand Reopening Celebration at our thrift store on Orchard Street in Boise. Check out the largest IYR store in the Treasure Valley! Completely remodeled with twice the selection--especially featuring summer duds and swimwear just in time for those long, sunny days. Doors open at 9:00 am.
It's true: what goes around comes around. This morning, the IYR Distribution Center crew found an unlabelled CD full of photos buried in a box of donated items. It contained about 30 shots; some showed Ranch Campus residents and staff taking part in a holiday parade (from the hairstyles of the spectators I'm guessing the '80s), and a few more were of Ranch kids working with their 4-H animals.
Ranch Readers Program
A book is a thrift store treasure — especially a free book! The Idaho Youth Ranch is offering a free book to any child (up to age 17) who visits an Idaho Youth Ranch thrift store.
Each free book comes with a special Ranch Readers bookmark. When you finish the book, write the name of the book on your bookmark and bring it back to the store, and we'll give you another free book (valued at $1.95 or less) and a stamp on your bookmark!