A First Look Into Programs: KARM Christmas Stores

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

Christmas reminds us how giving opens our hearts to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. KARM Stores understands this, and its Christmas locations turn the season’s generosity into support for KARM’s mission.”

“What we do at KARM Stores, whether it’s a normal one or a Christmas store, is about providing the funding and telling the KARM story.” –Evan, Director of Partner Engagement at KARM Stores

Thanks to a devoted community following, KARM Christmas Stores raise significant funds for the mission. This year, the stores set an all-time record for single-day sales at a single store opening weekend. Shoppers drove in from Kentucky, South Carolina, Ohio, and other states to join in the excitement!

Linda, Manager of Partner Engagement, affectionately known as Chief Historian, shared: “One of the unique things about the Christmas stores is that it becomes a place where people find joy.”

The KARM Christmas Stores bring nostalgia, build community, and rely on staff and volunteers who work with excellence to serve our homeless neighbors.

Let’s dive into KARM Christmas Stores and how they play a vital role in KARM’s mission and the community as a whole.

Impact of KARM Christmas Stores

All great things have a beginning, and it just so happens the KARM Christmas Stores began as a light-hearted joke. Linda shared how KARM normally saves product for future events and holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and of course Christmas. One day in 2010, Linda sat in a meeting when the Director of Processing jokingly said, “I think we have enough Christmas product we could just open a store for it.”

Suddenly, that idea became a reality when they opened their first temporary Christmas Store location in a small space at a strip mall, but no one could have predicted what it would become. That year, the response from the community was outstanding! Customers loved the store and begged for it to return.

For the next few years, the Christmas Stores continued to set up shop at temporary locations, allowing others to discover the beloved stores. “It just became an expectation; I think the community looks forward to it because opening day is just amazing,” Linda added. Today, KARM Christmas Stores have two successful store locations, one on Clinton Highway and the other at North Peters. When the KARM Stores thrive, it opens doors to provide.

Evan, Director of Partner Engagement with KARM Stores, said the KARM Christmas Stores “are the highest revenue stores when they’re open.” So from September to January, they become a catalyst for raising financial support for KARM’s emergency shelter.

In 2015, the Christmas store made just over $65,000, and Evan explained that “last year we had two stores, really for the first time. But we did more than ten times that amount. So it’s just one of those things where you’re like, oh my goodness!” What’s amazing is that KARM Stores gives 100% of proceeds to provide hope and help to our homeless neighbors at KARM’s homeless shelter.

Evee, the Senior Store Manager of both Christmas store locations, also claimed:

“The KARM Christmas stores are the number one fundraising and marketing opportunities for the company for the whole year… we’re able to get this level of buy-in and participation from the community to look deeper into what the company actually does as a whole and why we’re doing it. “

The KARM Christmas Stores couldn’t do it without those who generously donate their items and the loyal customers who return annually. That continuous support from the community helps the stores keep a steady revenue for our shelter. This is what inspires the KARM Stores staff to continue creating an elevated and special experience for our customers year after year!

Magic of Christmas

While many stores wait until September to bring out festive decor, KARM Christmas Stores begin preparing in January. It begins once the team gathers their Christmas inventory, processes it, and stewards each donation with care. Then they come together to create new and creative displays that bring the stores to life. Each part of the process has intentional weight because they aren’t just offering product; they are offering an experience. Evee shared how:

“We’re able to give folks that nostalgic Christmas feeling when they’re walking through the store, and they’re seeing items that they had—what their grandparents had in their houses. What they saw when they were little or when they were growing up. It’s just magic.”

The staff at the KARM Christmas stores are so talented in how they organize displays, decorate trees, and create an environment of whimsy and delight for customers. This year, Evee gave a behind-the-scenes view of how the stores came up with the Ski Lift theme. She explained how the Clinton Highway location has a gazebo in the front of the store. This year, one of the staff asked, “What if it wasn’t a gazebo?” The team leaned into this proposition and eventually decided to transform it into an ice rink. Then they cultivated the ski lift theme around it by building sets and perfectly placing product. Evee exclaimed, “I am incredibly blessed and lucky that I have a leadership team that is just as passionate and just as excited about all of this as I am.”

Josh, the Director of Marketing and Communications, explained further about the team at KARM Christmas Stores. He said,

“They are phenomenal merchandisers and decorators. The people of KARM Stores and KARM, you can see so much talent in people who are so gifted and could be doing so much more. They could be doing other things in the world. Like some of our decorators could be working as top-tier interior designers, but they’re not. They’re here at KARM stores. They’re making an impact. Why? Because they love our mission. They love what we do.”

KARM Christmas Stores also excels in being a bridge to the community. Sometimes it’s through volunteers who choose to come to the stores to help organize and place product, and other times it’s how they lead with care to every customer that enters their doors.

Last year, a woman browsing an aisle of angel toppers found a corn husk doll that reminded her of the ones her late grandmother used to make. After a quick examination, her eye caught sight of a tag on its bottom. When she flipped it over, there on the tag was proof this doll was created by her grandmother.

“She immediately was connected to her grandma on something that had been made decades prior and had just ended up in our store. I mean, it’s truly divine intervention. Like you can see Jesus within the Christmas story of KARM Christmas, and it’s a blessing to be a part of.”– Josh

The Christmas Stores curate this feeling of nostalgia that transports people to a moment in time of comfort and joy. We as believers know the Christmas story holds so much weight because it points to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the greatest gift we have ever been given. Linda shared, “I always made sure that our nativities were the first thing people saw when they came in, just as a reminder to all of us. Hey, this is why we have a Christmas store. This is what it’s all about.”

KARM Christmas Stores are one of a kind. It’s rare to find a thrift store devoted to Christmas memorabilia, and rarer still to find one devoted to serving the community. Whether it’s through customers who are seeking to remember loved ones or our homeless neighbors rebuilding their lives, KARM Stores finds unique ways to bring hope. Linda lovingly said, “It’s fortunate that we get to have fun selling Christmas items that everybody wants or likes, and then it still goes to help feed people, provide for children, and give them hope for a future that they didn’t expect they could have.”

What a blessing the KARM Christmas stores are! Make sure to visit the stores soon because the season ends in January, and you don’t want to miss out!

By: Laura Lee Cochran; Marketing and Copy Coordinator

This post is a part of our First Look article series. Its goal is to give you a first look experience into volunteering at KARM while highlighting our many programs.