A pop-up clothing shop called The Street Store is headed to Seattle’s Occidental Park on Sept. 18. The event is part of a worldwide movement “to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Making it easier to donate and more dignified to receive.”
Go Kind Seattle Founder Rickie Harmon and her team have dedicated hundreds of hours of work to making the event happen. She decided to bring The Street Store to Seattle for the first time after watching a video on Facebook.
“The intention of this event is about dignity. It’s having a personal shopper saying, ‘How can I help you today? What is it that you need today?’ and actually helping them get what they need, showing kindness, being kind,” Harmon said. “It’s just something that we need more of in Seattle and beyond is kindness.”
Harmon has partnered with numerous nonprofit groups, organizations and individuals to gather enough donations and volunteers for the store.
Mary’s Place Development Director Katie Teplicky said they offered Harmon advice on how to run the event because they have experience with giving out donations to large groups of people at once.
“We offered to take a week of our donations that were coming in and give them for that event,” Teplicky said. A week of their donations equals 40 bags of clothes. Redeeming Soles donated 800 pairs of shoes.
Anita Cech with Jubilee Women's Center said: “It represents an innovative new way for us to reach a broader group of women who needs these types of services. That’s an important part of our mission overall to be able to serve more low-income women and women who are experiencing poverty in the greater Seattle area. We’re excited to see that this exists in the community and to be able to collaborate as part of it.”
Harmon is expecting about 1,000 men, women and children to show up to the store. In addition to clothes and shoes, shoppers will also have the chance to pick up belts, socks and undergarments. A hair cutting tent is also planned and lunch will be provided. Volunteers will also give out blankets.
“We want to treat them as our neighbors not as those homeless people because it could be any of us,” Harmon said. “You never know when the tide is going to turn and it could be us asking for help, wishing someone were kind to us.”
What: The Street Store, a one day “pop up” clothing store
When: Sept. 18, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: Occidental Park in Pioneer Square, 117 S. Washington St.