Volunteer with Children's Market

If you want the opportunity to shop early, sign up to volunteer!  In addition to shopping early, you can earn up to 85% of your sales or shopping credit at the sale.  Snacks and drinks are available during all shifts. Lunch is provided Monday through Friday for those working more than 3 hours.

Volunteers may arrive 20 minutes early to check in your consigned items when working during drop-off times.

How much do you have to help to enjoy the benefits of volunteering? You have some options.

Bartering  (Currently full) - We have a few pre-sale opportunities. These tasks count as a three-hour shift and are restricted to one bartering task per person.  If you sign up for more than one bartering shift, we reserve the right to remove your name from one or more of the shifts you've requested.  This option is 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.

Bartering is also an easy way to add to your hours to be a Platinum volunteer.  Many of these pre-sale shifts list 8 am until 4:30 pm as the shift hours.  You 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.

Primary Volunteers (Level 1)- Work or barter one 3-hour shift(s). As a reward for your contribution to the sale, you can shop at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, March 6. These volunteers who work during the sale can shop the ½ price sale early, starting at 3 pm on Friday.  (Shopping half-price early is not an option for anyone who barters only.)

Premier Volunteers (Level 2) - Work two 3-hour shift(s) between Tuesday and Friday. As a reward for your contribution to the sale, you can shop at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, March 6.  Premier Volunteers shop the ½ price sale starting at 2 pm on Friday.

Platinum Volunteers (Level 3) (Currently full) - Help a total of 12 hours, including three hours of sorting between 11 am and 3 pm on Saturday, March 10.  As a reward for your contribution to the sale, you will receive your choice of Market Money shopping credit ($20.00) OR 85% commission on your items. Platinum Volunteers shop at 12:00 noon on Tuesday for our pre-sale and shop at our half-price sale at 12 noon on Friday.

Shifts with Free Childcare Provided  (Currently full) -  We have three shifts on Wednesday when childcare will be provided at no cost.  If you want to volunteer when childcare is available, please sign up for one of the childcare shifts.  Only one childcare shift will be available to each family. 

Four guys and some trucks (Currently full) - A husband shift worth double credit.  If you complete both truck shifts, you will receive 85% of your sales without having to work any additional shifts at the sale. This reward comes with responsibility.  You and/or your spouse must have a full-sized truck and be willing to work with others to move all of the racks to/from our storage facility and the church.  There are four spaces for each shift.  This is a labor intensive job, thus the large reward! 

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

Helpful Hints for Volunteers

Please leave your cell phone, keys, and any other personal belongings behind the check-out area, where they will be secure. 

All volunteers who work before the sale opens to the public have the opportunity to reserve five clothing 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 Wednesday or they will be returned to the sales floor. We do not allow anyone to hold items until the half-price sale.  Platinum Volunteers can reserve an additional 5 clothing items.

We ask you to 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 or computer at the check-out area, along with a chart of with your tentative work assignment.  Depending on circumstances, you may be in a different area than originally assigned.  You will then receive a navy Children's Market apron to help shoppers identify you as a volunteer.

Thank you to Phillip and Sue Pearson of Screened Image for their support of Children's Market over the years. They donated all of the t-shirts our committee wears, along with the printed aprons for our volunteers. If you already have one of our pink Children's Market t-shirt, you are welcome to wear it. If you have a question while you're working, our consignment sale committee members will be in navy Children's Market t-shirts and are always happy to help.

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

Do not bring their children with you during your work shift. No exceptions unless arrangements have been made in advance with our sale coordinator.

Our volunteers work in teams led by a team captain. The teams are:  Sales Area Set-Up, Merchandise Display, and Consignor Check-In before the sale; Sales Floor, Security and Greeting, and Cashier during the sale;  Merchandise Sorting and and Breakdown/Clean Up after the sale.

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 are the benefits of volunteering? You get to shop BEFORE everyone else, including our half-price sale! You will get the 'cream of the crop'! In addition, you can receive shopping credit and/or an additional 10% of your sales. You can reserve clothing items if you work during the pre-sale.

• What if I cannot work my designated shift? Call us immediately at 256-239-6033 to reschedule your shift. Volunteers who do not fulfill their obligation will not be allowed to participate as a volunteer and will forfeit any benefits of volunteering at this or future sales. Some circumstances will be considered.

•I signed up for a bartering shift. 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. 

Children's Market Volunteer Responsibilities:  Since many of our volunteer shifts occur after early shopping has taken place, we trust those people who have committed to the remaining shifts to follow through on their obligations.  If you have to cancel for any reason, please try to find someone to take your place.  Call us at (256) 239-6033 if you find out you are unable to work your shift at the last moment.  Anyone who fails to contact us will not be allowed to volunteer with us again. 

A very important reminder about holding items:   We realize it is very hard to resist looking through the racks while you are straightening them, checking for wear, etc.  If you do find clothing you would like to purchase, we allow volunteers to reserve up to five items only.  Please put them in the kitchen.  There will be hold tags and safety pins in the kitchen for your convenience.  Use these supplies to identify your items.  Clothing and shoes are the only items that can be reserved.  

Please return to the sales floor and continue your shift after you have reserved your five (or 10 for Platinum Volunteers) items.  Any held items must be paid for by noon on Wednesday if they are held during the pre-sale or at the end of your 3-hour shift if you are working Wednesday through Saturday.  Everything left in the kitchen will be returned to the sales floor at noon on Wednesday and at the end of each day of the public sale.  

If you have children who consign, you cannot use their numbers to hold additional items.  This volunteer benefit is not something most sales allow, but we have had very few problems with it in the past until last year.

If shopping during volunteer shifts becomes an issue, we will not be able to continue offering this great benefit.  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. 

Here are some reminders for you about helping:

1.      Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your shift is scheduled to begin.  This gives you time to sign in and receive any necessary training or instruction, as well as secure personal items.  Sign in and out each time you work.  We may be a test sale for computer check-in for volunteers.  If that is the case, we'll go through it together for the first time.  The notebook is in our check-out area.  It will have your assigned task and work area listed for each specific shift.  This area is also a secure area where you can leave your purse, coat, etc. 

2.      We have navy blue Children's Market aprons for you to wear to protect your clothing.  Return it at the end of your shift. 

3.      Be kind and courteous to shoppers and other volunteers.  We want everyone to have an enjoyable time at the Children's Market!

4.      Interact with the shoppers.  Ask them if they have any questions.  Do they need another basket?  Do they have items they want put in the holding area?  Are they looking for something specific?  Etc.  (Not only are you being helpful, but also you are also discouraging shoplifting!)

5.      A positive attitude is necessary for everyone!  Do NOT make negative comments about an item's style, price, etc., as you are working.  Please do NOT speak negatively about other consignment sales, stores, or resale shops!  We want everyone to have a great experience with our sale.  Keeping everything positive really helps and sets a good example for others.

6.      Do NOT 'promote' your own items in the sale by recommending them to shoppers.  We have had to ban a volunteer for this action in the past.  It will not be tolerated.

7.      If you have an assigned task, but have some down-time, please help tidy the sale by straightening items, putting items in the correct sections, fixing items on hangers, looking for missing tags, etc.  Don't forget to talk to the shoppers! 

8.      Please help yourself to snacks, drinks, and food.  Use your best judgment regarding when to have a quick break.  It is very helpful to have volunteers take shifts eating (during meals).

9.      Smile and have fun!

Thank you so much for volunteering!  You are appreciated!  You will receive complete and detailed instructions concerning your job when you arrive.  Also, look for an email reminder before the sale.  It will outline all of your duties in detail.