My name is Jenna. 

 Three years ago I was a laid off newspaper journalist with too much time on my hands and a love of thrift stores. Today I'm an independent journalist working in Washington, DC with an opportunity to complete my dream project.  In May 2010 I started documenting strange, awesome and unique things I saw on my trips to thrift stores to share with friends. When I'd go out of state to visit friends or for work, I'd pop into a shop to find out about the local donation pool and what it said about the area.  It's now evolved into a full-blown documentary project called All Thrifty States, which aims to document in stills, audio and video the people, scenes and items found in thrift stores nationwide. The project hopes to provide a window into the regional selections of used goods, the current economic climate in America, the breadth of organizations that benefit from second-hand items and the environmental impact of second-hand consumption. 

Last summer, with funds from a Kickstarter campaign and a sponsorship from Goodwill, I was able to rent an RV and drive 10,000 miles in 52 days, visiting and documenting thrift stores in 30 states.  Combined with the 10 states I've done on my own both before and since then, I only have 10 left to go. 

Those I still have to cross off the list are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, South Carolina, Hawaii and Alaska.  Until I'm able to visit stores in these states, the project is not officially complete.  Once finished, All Thrifty States will become a book, a traveling photography exhibit and a short film.   

The Impact

All Thrifty States aims to bring the economic reality for most Americans into focus in a way that nothing else has before in a fun and entertaining fashion. This is a way to show Americans that thrift stores are a smart and environmentally friendly place to shop-- not just a place to donate.  Not only do thrift stores benefit a broad range of charities in local communities, they universally have something to appeal to all ages, all cultures, all religions and all economic levels.  

I hope this project, once complete, will challenge Americans to rethink their consumption patterns and keep the earth in mind when they make a purchase.  

What We Need

What we need are funds to visit the last 10 states  on our list (roughly $1,000 each= $10,000), funds to create gallery-quality prints for our first exhibit (~$3,000), paying for framing (~$1,000) and renting a DC gallery space for a one week show ($1,000/week).  After the prints and framing are complete, the exhibit will be set to travel across the country! 

Other Ways You Can Help......

Share this project with your friends!  In addition to our website (www.allthriftystates.com) we are on Twitter (@AllThriftyState) on Facebook, Vimeo and YouTube.