New Pierce County thrift store will offer free essentials, life skills classes
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Free thrift store opens March 1, 4–7 p.m., at The Carlson Block pizza shop.
- Store runs on The Carlson Block hours; donations accepted except furniture, electronics.
- Shop offers free life-skills classes; QR donations will buy diapers, toiletries.
Wilkeson is getting a new thrift store this weekend.
The Carlson Block, a pizza restaurant located at 531 Church St. that opened in 2016, is opening a free thrift store in its building.
Ashley Galbraith, who co-owns The Carlson Block with her husband, Ian, told The News Tribune the grand opening will be on Sunday, March 1, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“I’m part of a mom group at Lake Tapps Christian Church in Bonney Lake, and every week, moms are bringing things that they don’t need anymore,” Galbraith said. “At the time, I was cleaning out my kids’ rooms and they have so much stuff, toys they’ve never played with and clothes… so I offered it, originally to do it for my mom group, to kind of organize it, and people like the idea.”
In December, Galbraith spearheaded a children’s toys and clothes swap through the restaurant, which developed into a bigger idea to open a thrift shop.
What to know about the thrift shop
Customers will be able to use the thrift shop by walking into The Carlson Block and turning into the first door on the left. Shopping will be private.
“We’re not staffing it, we want to keep operating costs as low as possible,” Galbraith said.
Because of that, the thrift shop will have the same hours as The Carlson Block and be closed when the restaurant is closed. The Carlson Block’s hours are currently Thursday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Residents with items they don’t need can donate them to the store, Galbraith said. They will also have a QR code cash donation option, which Galbraith will use to buy diapers and toiletries such as deodorant, toothbrushes or toothpaste.
“We sell all kinds of clothing – men’s, women’s, teen, kid, toddler, baby clothing, and shoes. We clean everything and steam it, it’s really going to look like you’re shopping in the store – it will be tagged and sized,” Galbraith said. “We will have different home goods things, decorations for your house, seasonal decorations. We will have books, lots of toys, lots of baby gear.”
All items are free. Galbraith also said they won’t have the space to display everything they have, so she also hopes to include a list of items they have.
The only donations they won’t accept from the public, Galbraith said, are furniture and electronics.
On top of selling items, Galbraith said they plan to host free life skills classes.
“[We will offer] sewing, mending clothes, we’re going to have one of my good friends, Veronica, do a little girl hairstyling class for dads,” Galbraith said. “Basic car maintenance, healthy eating and exercise – just different things that we want to be able to offer, things that people need, skills that people need that will save them money in the future.”
She said she has already received a lot of volunteers for the classes.
“I’m really, really excited,” she said.
Galbraith also emphasized that anyone can shop at the store.
“A question I’ve gotten a lot has been who can shop there, and I just want it to be known that it is for everyone,” Galbraith said. “We want to ease people’s burdens, we want to lighten people’s loads, any sort of stress relief we can provide for people – it doesn’t matter income, circumstance, like, we want people to come in and be blessed. If you want to come in and you find something that lessens your load, then you belong there.”
Grand opening
Galbraith will be hosting a grand opening at The Carlson Block, which will include a raffle draw at 6 p.m.
She told The News Tribune that raffle tickets will cost $1, but residents can earn bonus raffle tickets by bringing diapers, wipes, formula, socks, underwear or toiletries as a donation. Many local businesses donated prizes including Anchor House Coffee in Buckley and Pick and Shovel, an American pub in Wilkeson.
There will also be autographed cookbooks from Danielle Kartes, a Puyallup chef who was recently a contestant on “Next Level Chef,” a national cooking show with Gordon Ramsay as one of the judges.
One of Galbraith’s friends will also be giving people flash tattoos, and The Carlson Block will provide free cheese and pepperoni pizza. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.
Kartes told The News Tribune the Galbraiths are close friends of hers, and she was honored to donate autographed cookbooks for the cause.
“They’re so community-first, anything they want to do has a purpose and a compass to help people, and that’s literally their secret sauce: they have no ego,” Kartes said. “They’re so good at what they do, and look at that, they’re literally opening a free thrift store. Anything I can do to support that and have a book giveaway, I’m going to do.”
Galbraith said the work that has gone into getting the thrift store ready has required a lot of physical labor. As a self-described introvert, it has taken her beyond her comfort zone.
“I’ve really had to go against everything that I am as a person. I’ve had to sort of fight against it,” Galbraith said. “This is purely walking by faith, just building it as ideas come – we’re adding it in.”
To learn more, visit The Carlson Block’s Instagram at @carlsonblock.
