Shop Volunteers Sell Goods, Offer Support

Although most of them are retired, the women who volunteer at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop wear two hats.

They sell gently-used contemporary clothing and are a resource to people who have been touched by cancer.

The Discovery Shop, 805 W. Garland, sells second-hand clothes, jewelry, household items and wigs. The proceeds go to the American Cancer Society for research and programs.

The shop also doubles as a support system for both volunteers and customers who have been affected by cancer.

Volunteer Diane Lee lost her mother and her daughter to cancer. One of her sisters has undergone 22 cancer-related surgeries. Her other sister has leukemia, and a close friend recently died of cancer.

Lee knows first-hand how important it is for cancer survivors to have a place where they feel welcome.

“We encourage people to talk about their condition if they need someone to talk to. If they don’t, we don’t quiz them. We’re just there to be friendly and to listen,” she said.

Lee said some customers are shy at first when asking about a wig, for example, but they tend to eventually open up.

“We hear a lot of stories and no matter how bad our stories are, there is someone out there who is worse off,” Lee said.

The volunteers at the Discovery Shop also serve as a referral service for the American Cancer Society, offering information on dietary supplements or prosthetics.

There are 12 Discovery Shops in the American Cancer Society’s Northwest region, which includes Washington, Oregon and Montana. All of them are operated by volunteers.

The stores in the Northwest region raise about $1 million annually to fight cancer. Nationwide, there are more than 2 million Discovery Shop volunteers, said regional director Kathi Ray.

“We have three goals: To save lives, to reduce the incidents, and to improve the quality of life for cancer patients,” Ray said.

Adele Thomas, co-chair of the Garland store committee, said volunteering at the Discovery Shop is like being with family.

“It’s a fun place to be. We have a lot of regular customers and it’s a good outlet for those of us who are retired to stay in the swing of things,” Thomas said.