New 2 You

A question we often receive is whether we take Christmas products when it’s not Christmastime. The answer is YES, and Rob can tell you all about it!

Rob volunteers at our off-site storage location (“the warehouse”), where he stores and organizes thousands of seasonal décor items. He’ll be the first to tell you that our customers are 10 times more likely to buy Christmas products in November and December than in other months, and the same pattern applies to Valentine’s décor, spring décor, and fall décor.

Each week, our volunteers at the donation door price and box out-of-season housewares and clothing, our volunteer truck teams drive them to the off-site location, and Rob stores the boxes away until it’s time for their launch. At that point, he stages the boxes that should be brought back to the store. He usually visits the off-site location one to three times each week, and there are often cartloads of boxes waiting for him to unload. This role requires high attention to detail, organization, and strength to move so many boxes.

Rob didn’t start volunteering off-site. He and his family have been long-time donors to New 2 You, but he became more curious about the store and its mission after discovering that New 2 You donates to the clothing assistance ministry at his church, Calvin Church. About six years ago, he started volunteering at the store on Wednesday afternoons, unloading boxes from off-site, moving furniture, and helping wherever needed in the donation center. A year into volunteering, he took on the role of organizing seasonal goods off-site. As an organized person himself, he loves being able to contribute in this unique way.

Rob has a host of talents beyond organizing. He loves to travel, play golf, participate in fitness activities like walking and strength training, and spend time with his family. In November, he will become a grandpa, which he is so excited about! Rob has lived in Michigan his whole life, growing up in Greenville. After graduating from Aquinas College, he worked at Foremost Insurance for five years, where he met his wife, Susan. Then afterwards, he joined his family’s media business, Stafford Media. There he was a third-generation business owner and led the company until its sale in 2019.

When volunteering, Rob most looks forward to seeing his fellow volunteers. Being retired and no longer going into an office every day, he loves being in this community where everyone is so kind and driven by the same mission: supporting Christian education. Not only do the volunteers care deeply about the cause, but donors do as well. He is constantly blown away by how charitable our donor community is.

We are so thankful for Rob, the critical work he does for the store, and the wonderful person he is in our community. Thank you, Rob!