Blogging with BTS

Blog post 1

When I applied for the SIE Internship opportunity, Be the Solution wasnt in my list of top three organizations but within the last couple of weeks, I have come to realize that working for BTS actually suits me more than I thought. Be The Solution is a non-profit organization that has as a main goal to reduce the overpopulation of dogs. Many times these dogs end in shelters or in the streets and more often than not, they end up being euthanized. This is why it is very important for dogs and cats to be spayed and neutered, however, doing this is usually very expensive (about $500). Be The Solution paired with many vets from the area to create vouchers that would reduce the price of spaying to $20-$30. In order to fund this program, Be The Solution operates a thrift store called The Fix Thrift Shop where donated items are sold and the profit goes directly into the program.

Over the last couple of weeks, The Fix Thrift Shop has been doing very good. Not only have we been receiving a lot of donations (good quality stuff!) but the store has been able to resell a lot of it. This last week in particular, I have designed and created a pamphlet that we want to give out along with the vouchers for the spaying/neuter that encourages the dog and cat owners to post pictures of their pets on facebook or instagram and tag us so their pictures can be featured in our social media.

Blog Post 2

The first couple of weeks of the internship were dedicated to getting to know the store and the people working there to get a better sense of what The Fix Thrift Shop is like and how it all runs. The following weeks I went often to the store to take pictures to post on FB showing what new things we had for sale. At the beginning of this month I touched base with my boss Gerry and talked to her about my work dynamic. Most of the work I was doing was online and not a lot of the work I have requires for me to be physically in the store which is why we agreed that going one day of the week to take pictures and to help our with vouchers and clients would be enough, the rest is to be done online and could be done remotely. This decision ended up working for me because as someone who doesn't drive, it was complicated to get to the shop 3 times a week. What started off as a challenge ended up working better for me after communicating with my boss and clearing everything up with her. Working alongside really friendly and productive people and also getting to talk to clients that stop by the store is very rewarding. Whenever I am at the store, it is very often for clients to express their gratitude for the BTS program and everything the program does for dogs. It is clear that many people hold a lot of love for their pets and dogs and cats in general.

During the month of march employee day was celebrated and in order to thank the vet personnel that have donated their time and effort to neuter and spay these pets, I created personalized cards thanking them and the entire staff. This way, whenever we wish to send a thank you package to our vets we’ve partnered with, the personalized note can really make them realize how much we value what they do for BTS. Without them, BTS would not be able to operate at all.

Overall, I am incredibly lucky to be able to work at a thrift shop and be able to see how everything operates “behind the scenes”. I am currently in a class where they are making us create an enterprise that holds some type of social value or solution and I decided to work on one that would help reduce the carbon footprint that fast fashion leaves behind. For the model of the enterprise, a thrift store will play a role and being able to work in one helps with really understanding how a thrift store works and how it can benefit this enterprise that I'm creating for one of my classes. Overall these past few weeks have been really enjoyable at Be The Solution and have taught me a lot, excited to see how the rest of the semester plays out.

Blog Post 3

A lot has changed since writing for the last blog in the beginning of March. Back then the world was aware of the COVID-19 virus going around but it wasn't in our radar that so much change would happen to our daily routine. As safety precautions the governor of Florida declared that stores, restaurants and other non-essential businesses had to close in order to practice self distancing. To follow new regulations and to make sure the entire staff stayed safe, Gerry also decided to close The Fix Thrift Shop on March 22. Not only was this a very big change for my work for BTS in general but also a very big change in general. We’re social creatures and going out to the street is part of our everyday life and it is something that many took for granted until now. With everyone locked inside their houses, a lot changed with the dynamic of work. Before most of the posts I created were based on what was selling at the moment and now with the store closed, there is nothing to sell as of now. Gerry and I talked and I told her I would continue creating content for the future as well as start working on content that could be posted despite having the store closed. Although it might not be what I was doing at the very beginning, there is still a lot of space for work to be done. The virus might be keeping us inside but this means there is more time to get creative and witty with new content! Although this wasn’t the end that many of us were anticipating, it is a great opportunity for people to use this free time and turn it into something good.