Volunteer with Children's Market

If you want the opportunity to shop early, sign up to volunteer!  In addition to shopping both the pre-sale and half-price sale early, you can earn up to 85% of your sales.  Light meals, snacks, and drinks are available during all shifts. We are extremelygrateful for all of our volunteer workers. You are incredibly valuable to the success of the Children's Market sale.

REMEMBER, Dads are welcome to work, too!

Volunteer Contest:  We are giving one Level one volunteer 85% of your sales.  All you have to do to be eligible is sign up and work one shift at the sale during the week of September 12 - 18.  The winner will be randomly selected from the list of 3-hour volunteers using random.org.  Sign up before September 11 to be eligible!  You can use your consignor homepage to select your shift!  If you are not a consignor,  you can select a Market Money certificate for $25 in place of the 10% of sales.

How much do you have to help?  You have some options.

Level One Volunteers - Work one to three 3-hour shift(s). As a reward for your contribution to the sale, you can shop at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 13.  You can shop the ½ price sale early, starting at 4:30 on Friday, Sept. 17. 

Level Two Volunteers - Help a total of 12 hours, including three hours between 11 am and 5 pm on Saturday. As a reward for your contribution to the sale, you will receive 85% commission on your items and can shop at 1 pm on Tuesday and shop our half-price sale at 3 pm on Friday.   Level Two Volunteer Spots are now full for the Sept. 2010 sale, but there are still plenty of opportunities to help out and shop early on Tuesday.  Volunteers shop our half-price sale on Friday!

Non-Traditional Volunteer Shifts - We have some pre-sale opportunities that each count as a three-hour shift.  These tasks are great for teachers, parents with young children, and busy moms who want to shop early, but can't be involved during the week of the sale.  They're also a great way to add to your hours to reach Level Two in volunteering.  Only one of these tasks can be applied to your 12 hours if you want to receive 85% of your sales.  Many of these pre-sale shifts list 8 am until 4:30 pm as the shift times.  Volunteers are not committing for the full time.  These hours are the times the church building will be open and staffed for someone to help you.  These shifts are all full for Fall 2010.

All volunteers who work before the sale have the opportunity to reserve five items.  To be fair to everyone, larger items, such as large toys, baby equipment, or furniture, cannot be reserved. Any reserved items must be paid by noon on Thursday or they will be returned to the sales floor. We do not allow anyone to hold items until the half-price sale.  

We ask that volunteers arrive a few minutes before your shift begins. This will allow you time to receive any instructions and ask questions. 

Volunteers must sign in as they arrive for their work shift. There will be a sign-in notebook at the check-out area, along with a chart of with your tentative work assignment.  You will then receive a name badge to help shoppers and other workers identify you as a volunteer. 

We are very grateful to Phillip and Sue Pearson of Screened Image for their support of Children's Market over the years.  They have donated all of the pink shirts we have given to volunteers, which we've been able to share with you.  If you already have a Children's Market t-shirt, please wear it when you volunteer. We are no longer giving away our t-shirts, but will have navy aprons for our volunteers to wear while you are working.  Beginning in the fall of 2010, consignment sale committee members will be in navy Children's Market tshirts and volunteers will have aprons available to wear. 

You will be on your feet most of the time. Wear comfortable shoes.

We will provide an area in the kitchen or the check-out area for your personal items during your work shift.  You are welcome to lock your purse in your car and just bring your keys and cell phone with you when you are helping.

Do not bring their children with you during your work shift.  No exceptions unless it has previously been discussed with our sale coordinator.

During the actual sale week, workers will be assigned tasks depending on the needs at that work shift.

1. Set-up day - Workers will be moving racks, setting up tables, hanging signs, and other tasks to arrange the layout of the sale.
2. Drop off days- Workers will aid in inspection of items and place items in the designated sections.

2. Shopping days- Workers will help us keep the merchandise in order, aid shoppers in the check out process, etc…

3. Pick up day-Same as above and at the conclusion of the sale, workers will work with consignors to assist them with collecting any unsold items.

Volunteer Questions

• How do I volunteer? You can volunteer for one or more 3-hour shifts by clicking on the work shift link on your consignor homepage. If you want to volunteer, but not consign, visit www.mysalemanager.net/wrk_start.aspx?partnercode=CMKT

• What is the benefit of volunteering? You get to shop BEFORE everyone else! You will get the 'cream of the crop'! 

• What if I cannot work my designated shift? We depend greatly on our volunteers to fulfill their assigned obligations. At times, unforeseen circumstances (sick children, work conflicts, family emergencies, etc.) will arise.  If this happens, call us immediately at 256-239-6033 to reschedule your shift or to notify us of a replacement. Volunteers who do not fulfill their obligation may not be allowed to participate as a volunteer or attend any future Volunteer Preview Parties. Some circumstances will be considered. Thanks for your time and we look forward to having you join us!

•What non-traditional tasks are available?  Counting flyers, placing mailing labels on postcards and sorting them by zip code, delivering f
flyers to schools, putting out yard signs the week of the sale, and helping us move racks from our storage building to the church and/or back to the storage building on Saturday after the sale. 

•I signed up to count flyers.  The hours listed are 8 am until 4:30.  Will it take all day?  No, the hours listed are the hours the church will be open and staffed.  You can stop in anytime that day to pick up the supplies you need, then drop them back off at the church anytime on or before the due date listed. 

•I saw where two shifts on Saturday receive 85% of their sales.  Does that mean I will receive 85% of my sales if I work those shifts?  Yes, but only if you complete an additional 9 hours of volunteer time.  Our level 2 volunteers must work one or both of those shifts to receive their full percentage.  If you are only working one of those shifts, you will receive an early shopping pass and 75% of your sales. 


View our volunteer schedule.
Sign up to work (if you aren't a consignor)
Consignors can sign up to work through your Consignor Homepage.