I l-o-v-e the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop!

It's true.  This year I revived a love affair with something I have long been passionately involved with in city after city after city.  Obsessively, compulsively, over the course of my entire adult life, I have loved... the Thrift.

And so, beginning this fall, it's been the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop which has me under it's spell.  It's the place to be for deal-hunters and do-gooders of all kinds - especially those who support Ann Arbor Public Schools.  You'll find me there quite often.

There are lots of reasons for me to love the Thrift:  the great deals of resale shopping; the turnover and variety of items; the lovely clean store (I'm picky about this so I also like to volunteer there to help keep it that way); and my perfect fit with their "more-with-less" philosophy.  The funding support for enrichment earned over this fall and early winter will be a great shot in the arm for my neighborhood elementary school.  I want to do more fundraising with them for our schools.  And just when I think it can't get better, it does...

Not only have my kids schools PTO and PTSO been raising money and receiving grants from the Thrift  but there was EXTRA love at the end of 2009.  Each received a kind of bonus cheque (yes, I'm Canadian and this is how I spell it).  This is a wonderful end-of-the-year gift to each to be used to benefit kids with enrichment opportunities.  And it's not just my schools getting these - it's your AAPS schools too if you participate in fundraising activities with this great organization.  Does your school have an Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop rep?  If not, now is a great time to start.  Check out their website, contact the shop, and sign up to be the rep for your school.  It takes as much or as little time and effort as you have to offer.  And I am really enjoying organizing the group activities and earning funds for my kids schools.  It couldn't be more rewarding all the way around.

So, a big thank you to the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop for their incredible support of AAPS enrichment!  Ask your PTO or PTSO about this - and say thanks to the A2 PTO Thrift Shop too.