October 10, 2018

Finding Treasures at Lanai Gift Shop

Since moving to its new location on Ninth Street a few years ago, Lanai Thrift Shop has gained many new fans in the community. With an array of gently used clothing (including a selection of keiki clothes), small household items and appliances, books, DVDs, toys and more, there’s something for everyone to reuse or repurpose.

Many of the items are 50 cents or less, making the thrift shop a great place to score a deal on a back-to-school wardrobe for kids or pick up a few pots and pans. The thrift store also carries and accepts donations of seasonal items such as Halloween costumes and holiday decorations.

“We’re so appreciative of the community and their support of the thrift shop,” said Pastor Dorothy Lester of Lanai Union Church, which has run the thrift shop for more than 20 years. “Proceeds from the thrift shop make it possible for us to put on many youth programs throughout the year.”

Donate your gently used items

Residents looking to downsize or do some cleaning before the holidays may be wondering how they can donate their own items.

Lanai Thrift Shop gratefully accepts the following donations in usable/working condition:

Clean, gently used clothing, all ages (not torn or stained)
Children’s toys and items
Books and DVDs
Small household items
Functioning small kitchen appliances (toasters, microwaves, rice cookers, etc.)
Pots, pans and dishware
Functioning small electronics (radios, speakers, vacuums, etc.)
Seasonal items (Halloween costumes, holiday decorations, etc.)

Unfortunately, the thrift shop does NOT accept the following items:

Used car seats
Big and bulky items (TVs, couches, dressers, other large furniture)
Broken items
Stained or unusable items

“A good rule of thumb is to donate items in a condition where you might want to buy it yourself,” said Lester. “If it still works, but it’s no longer needed in your household, chances are it could be recycled by someone else in the community.”

How to donate

The easiest way to donate items is to call Lanai Union Church at 808-565-6902. Speak to Dorothy Lester or Kristen Young to make arrangements to drop off the items — this is especially helpful if you have a large amount of donations.

“Please call before leaving items in front of the thrift shop,” Lester advised. “We’d like to make sure someone can pick it up right away so it doesn’t rain or get damaged outside.”

Otherwise, stop by Lanai Thrift Shop during operating hours, Thursdays from 1–3:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30–10:30 a.m.

Donated clothing should be laundered before drop-off. Also, please be mindful that the volunteer staff members do not have the capacity to dispose of items it cannot accept, so please do not leave bulky furniture or other unacceptable items outside.

“The community’s support is so important to the thrift shop and we’re happy that people have a place to recycle items they no longer need,” said Lester. “We encourage everyone to visit and take a look at what we have available — you might find things you’d never expect!”