Category: Blog

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

Name: Anna Marie

Do you shop, donate or volunteer?

Shop, volunteer AND donate!

How long have you been volunteering with Philly AIDS Thrift?

Two years…just over.

What’s your favorite thing you bought

here?

Probably a pot, a

plant pot or something.

What was special about it?

Maybe the details. Maybe that it was old. And also probably a piece of jewelry, like sterling silver.

What keeps you coming back to our store?

Well I love the people, I love the place and I love the commotion and I love to be moving and busy. Yeah, I like it because that’s what this place is about.

Yeah, you look like you’re always busy.

Fast! I’m fast!

What’s the #1 top played song on your iPod?

I don’t have an iPod, but if I were going to play it, it would be Pharrell Williams’ Happy from Despicably Me 2.

Oh, I didn’t see that movie. Was it good?

I didn’t see the movie but I saw [Pharrell Williams] on Jimmy Kimmel two weeks ago. I’m in love!

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Maybe like a butter almond. No…butter pecan.

How do you pass these long, summer days?

Shopping at Philly AIDS Thrift!

Where it’s refreshingly air-conditioned! haha. Do you believe there are aliens out there?

I actually did a video on Do you believe in aliens? when I was at Temple. I went all around the city asking people questions. Do I believe in them? Probably based on interviewing people on that exact question, yes.

What did you go to school for?

Radio, television and film. School of Communications and Technology (SCAT) at Temple University.

And are you doing something with that now?
No!

I slum! haha. And I work at Cohen & Cohen Hardware, my beautiful store. We’re at 615 E Passyunk Ave and we sell hardware and
have been a family run business for a hundred years so come on down and see us, we make the best keys
in town!

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

j-hokkaido.com

Name: Divine

Shop, Donate or Volunteer?

Why do I have to choose?

How long have you been volunteering with Philly AIDS Thrift?

John Waters and I have been coming here for years. We’d drive up from Baltimore on the weekends.

What did your parents think of your career?

My parents…quite conservative…very American mother and father who were quite shocked by what their son decided to do. They’d rather I be a doctor, a lawyer, even an Indian Chief really would have been better than a man who makes his living in women’s attire.

Any favorite plays?

The Neon Woman and Women Behind Bars, of course.

What kind of work did you do before acting?

I was a hair-dresser for a very short time, I’m glad I had that experience. It’s very helpful now that I’m on the road doing my club act, there aren’t always hair-dressers available. I’m glad I know how to tease because that’s the look they want.

What were some of your favorite movies growing up?

I had a very macho taste in movies. Knights of the Round Table movies, war movies. I still like a good war movie.

Let’s talk about the dog turd:

Ugh. I thought John was kidding.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

Name: Ryan

Shop, Donate or Volunteer?

I volunteer.

And I donate.

And I shop!

How long have you been volunteering with Philly AIDS Thrift? Since spring 2007, around May.

What’s your favorite thing you bought here?

I think I have bought too many things to remember what I bought here. But I do know that a lof of the things I have I got from here and I get a lot of things from here, use them, then donate back here, and I’ll buy them again and then I’ll donate them again, and then I’ll buy them again. But I forgot what they were, but I have a lot.

What keeps you coming back to our store?

The supervision here…The supervision is really empowering. The supervisor and the supervision and the staff here make me want to keep coming back again and again.

So you would say it’s above par. Uh-huh!

Wha- But it’s very welcoming and I feel very welcome to come here and be free! I like these interviews!

What’s the #1 top played song on your iPod? Cardigans, Live and Learn.

What’s your favorite type of tree? Christmas

Do you consider yourself much of a daredevil?

Absolutely, in fact, I consider myself the most daredevil of all the volunteers, here. I don’t want to brag, though.

No, you’re very humble. Who’s your favorite superhero?

Wait, hold on. About the daredevil thing, I have a scooter. Continue. And I smoke cigarettes…But I’m quitting…on Monday.

Who’s your favorite superhero? The Rocketeer.

If you could have a full scholarship to any university, what would you choose to study? Business.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you!

Name:
Emily

Shop, Donate or Volunteer? All of those.

How long have you been volunteering with Philly AIDS Thrift? Almost four years.

What’s your favorite thing you bought here?

Oh, I have this brown leather jacket thing that I bought and that’s cool and I really like it and it has pockets on the inside and on the outside.

Oh, that sounds very sassy.

Yeah, I like being sassy.

What keeps you coming back to our store?

People keep donating books and I keep having to sort them and price them and it doesn’t stop.

What’s the #1 top played song on your iPod?

Ohh…is there a thing that will tell me that on my iPod? I don’t know.

Do you have a favorite book?

Nnnn…That’s too hard, but I can give you a favorite author and that’s Jeanette Winterson.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Mint chocolate chip?

Do you have any lucky items, objects or traditions?

Probably, but I can’t think of them right now. Interviews are hard.

What was your favorite school subject? English.

If you were a wrestler what would your stage name be?

Something like the Maniac, T-Rex, Super****…something like that….

Do you love or loathe Harry Potter, and why?

No, I’m kinda just neutral on it. I’m not really into it but a lot of people who are near and dear to me are Harry Potter fans, and I respect that. I’m not gonna dis the HP.

Have you ever had a disastrous interview?

So many…so many…