About this Nominee
The Thrift Station
The Friends of Discovery (the Friends) is a non-profit volunteer auxiliary of the Discovery Counseling Center of the San Ramon Valley. Founded in 1973, the Friends mission is to raise funds through the operation of the Thrift Station, in support of Discovery. Discovery is a community-based non-profit organization providing high-quality, culturally appropriate, and affordable counseling and mental health services and programs in the San Ramon Valley.
Our Organization. Since its inception, the Friends of Discovery has been an all-volunteer organization. Today we boast over 130 volunteers with new volunteers added monthly. Volunteers share an exceptional esprit des corps, joy of giving back to the community, and a heart-felt commitment to the missions of the Friends and Discovery. From the beginning in April 1973, our monthly donation has been essential to the success of the Discovery Counseling Center.
Our Donation to Discovery. We remain deeply committed to providing a stable funding source in support of DCC’s mission, programs, and staff. Our financial donation from Thrift Station proceeds contribute 27% of Discovery’s annual revenue. Every dollar donated by the Friends to the Discovery is used for the expressed purpose of supporting its mission and programs. We are proud to report that the Friends have donated over $12.5 million dollars to Discovery!
Our Shop. The Thrift Station is run entirely by volunteers. Located in the Crossroads Shopping Center, we are open six days a week, 10 AM - 4 PM. All the merchandise that we sell is donated by the local community. We have a loyal customer base with customers coming from all parts of the Bay Area. Our shop is clean, bright, modern, and welcoming. We are active on Google Business, social media, (follow us on Facebook and Instagram!), have advertised in “Live Locally” and the Danville holiday shopping guide, and have a large following via email. Because of our marketing strategy, our sale days are often record breaking!
We Care About Our Community. We are involved in our broader community in several ways. We provide mothers and daughters in the National Charity League with volunteer experience. We have partnered with SRVUSD and the students at Del Amigo, providing work/life experiences. We have hosted an after-hours reception with the Danville Chamber two years ago and were thrilled to welcome many Danville business members to our shop. We distribute items we cannot sell to local agencies such as: current refugees, East Bay schools with large, underrepresented populations, Shephard’s Gate women’s shelter, ARF, the Crayon Initiative, and local homeless and foster care programs. In addition, we have partnered with the Town of Danville’s Recreation Department providing a large quantity of toys, games, books, sports equipment, and crafts each month upon request. We have marched in Danville’s 4th of July parade, celebrating our milestone anniversaries. We also provide support for the fundraising events sponsored by Discovery such as the popular “Night of Music and Laughter” and “Dandiya Night” to be held November 4th at Dougherty Valley High School.
Throughout the lifetime of the volunteer auxiliary, we have won many local and county-wide awards and received recognition for the devotion of our volunteers and our contribution to Discovery. We are a long-standing member of the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and was winner of the Chamber’s Non-Profit Business of the Year in 2018. In 2023, we were awarded the prestigious community service award from the Town of Danville.
We invite you to visit The Thrift Station and see our volunteers, donors, and shoppers in action!