Lansing West Thrift Store Manager
“I like helping the people who come into the store. I like helping the community. We don’t always get to meet them, but we know we’re doing something good for others. It’s just really nice for everybody to pull together. “
Amanda Fleming, Lansing West Thrift Store Manager
What is your name? Amanda Fleming
When did you start working for VOA? Since 2017
Your Role at Volunteers of America Michigan: Lansing West Thrift Store Manager
How did you find out about the position? I was a customer. I just loved thrift shopping. The team at Lansing South and the management crew, from doing rounds and stuff like that, always saw me and knew me. The store and assistant store manager at the time told me “We really want you on our team, whenever you’re ready to come to work,” because I was a stay-at-home mom. So, they told me “Whenever you’re ready to come to work let us know.” I started out as a cashier there two nights a week.
Can you tell me a little bit about what your journey has been like with VOA? I started off two nights a week because it worked best with the kids in school and a babysitter. Eventually it just got easier to get more time for somebody else to watch the kids, so I moved up to working more hours and a few more nights. I started out on night cashiers; I was the closing shift. And so, I moved to production day shift, and I worked while my sons were at school. My manager worked with me on my schedule. I was able to work production, but I wasn’t full time production. I would get out at 3 o’clock instead of 5 o’clock so that I’d be able to make it to the school by 3:30 to pick up the kids. And from there I became a shift manager, and with the help of my family I got someone to watch the kids for the different weird schedules. And after that I became assistant manager, and now I am a store manager.
Everything has worked out for me to move up and do different things and work different hours. I’ve done cashier, I’ve done closing shifts, I’ve done morning shifts, I’ve done production, I’ve done dock, so I’ve seen every aspect of the store and it’s been awesome.
What has it been like working with your team members? I feel like everybody does a good job coming together as a team. We all work really hard. There is always going to be bad and there is always going to be good. Everyone jumps right in to do what we need to do to work together as a team and get it done.
Has there been anything that has stuck out here over the time you’ve worked that has been impactful for you? I just really like the interaction. I like being able to help people. I like people coming in and being able to buy the thrift store items. It’s awesome to help so many different crowds and people. It’s a really good system as a whole from the top to the bottom, to the front to the back, and everything in between.
Is there anything else you want to share from your experience here? I just really like people. I like helping the people who come into the store. I like helping the community. We don’t always get to meet them, but we know we’re doing something good for others. It’s just really nice for everybody to pull together. We make people happy in so many different aspects, whether it’s happy to buy something, or happy to get some sort of assistance from the sales that we make. It feels good to be a part of that. I also like being a leader, I feel like it matters to have the right leader. I’ve been lucky to have had the right leaders and I just want to be able to do that for other people.
