Rai$e the Roof 2020

In October 2020, the East End Community Thrift Store roof sprang a leak. Springing into action, the Thomas Merton Center began a fundraising campaign to raise money for roof repairs. Working as a Web/Graphic Design Assistant, I created the fundraiser’s ioby page and planned and created a social media campaign. I distilled the thrift store campaign into the three areas: the fashion, the people, and the place.

The Fashion

East End Community Thrift is a rich haven of gently used clothing sold at an affordable price; located on Penn Ave in Garfield, the shop has provided fashionable clothing to the community for over 14 years. As such, I chose to focus on the ways in which Thrifty’s clothing could be combined with contemporary fashion pieces to yield outfits that are fashionable, artistic, and appealing to the eye. I sought several local “fashionistas” who had a growing social media influence, and a good sense of style; below is a selection of the results.

The People

One of the main highlights of Thrifty is its warm and welcoming atmosphere; the volunteers who run the shop are kind and witty members of the senior community. It is partly their presence that makes Thrifty unique. As such, I chose to focus on their stories, backgrounds, and personalities. Below is a selection of such posts:

The Place

Thrifty has been located at 5123 Penn Ave for the past 14 years, but its building has been around for even longer. I chose to focus on the history of Thrifty and its location with the intent of portraying and placing the East End Community Thrift Shop in the context of Pittsburgh history, thus highlighting the importance of its existence. Scouring newspaper archives and insurance maps, I created media that emphasized Thrifty’s historical and social significance.

Thanks to the collaborative work between me and then-Technical Operations Coordinator, Sheryland Neal, we were able to raise over $12,000 for Thrifty’s roof!