This time of year is well-suited for gift-givers and receivers. From the newest and brightest iPhone to a thoughtful homemade creation, gifts can be a significant part of the holiday season. There are many who point to a homemade gift as the most meaningful. Sometimes, there’s nothing like an out-of-the-box, creative, funny gift option, especially one that has the added benefit of non-consumerism and support for small businesses.
Betsy Carnie, who runs the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School lunch program, created a gift certificate for the holiday that hits that mark. The certificates are for items at the Dumptique, the West Tisbury thrift store where all items are free. The location runs on local donations and volunteers.
Carnie said she’s “grateful for the small chance to build a better world by choosing non-consumerism. Not because it’s a story of deprivation, but because it’s a story of humor and creativity and community.”
The gift certificates are available, for a small donation of the person’s choice, at the Dumptique in West Tisbury or at Olive Branch Fair Trade in Vineyard Haven.
“It’s a little tongue-in-cheek because, of course, everything is free there,” Dumptique volunteer Rebecca Potter said with a chuckle. “But it’s a way to bring recognition to the Dumptique for what it is: a huge savings of things not going to the dump. It really is a great thing, to keep things reused. Any way that we can get people in there to notice what we’re doing is a great idea.”
Linda Cohen, the owner and operator of Olive Branch Fair Trade, said she hopes lots of locals come by to pick up the gift certificate and make a donation.
“Just thinking about it makes me laugh,” she said to The Times. “And it’s a hard time on Earth to laugh. I so appreciate Betsy’s sense of humor and her dedication to encouraging all of us to recycle and upcycle and use fewer resources. We need to shift away from an extractive economy to a circular economy.”
Carnie said the gift, while not of high monetary value, offers a chance to root deeply in morals. For those gift receivers who are more concerned about the state of the world, climate, and human rights than the newest and shiniest item, a Dumptique certificate could be the perfect way to honor them.
“We want to offer a chance to show them you’re thinking of them and still staying grounded in your values, even deep in the heart of holiday consumption season. It is possible to choose a gift that’s thoughtful and fun and funky and unique to West Tisbury,” Carnie added.