Beautiful Lives Boutique hosted its annual fundraising event Oct. 27-29, Shop Our Closets, in partnership with University of Arkansas Greek Life to bring fresh styles to their storefronts.
All 12 University of Arkansas sororities partnered with Beautiful Lives to donate thousands of items to bring refreshed styles just in time for the winter season.
Beautiful Lives Boutique is a local nonprofit, up-scale thrift store serving women of Northwest Arkansas by providing both professional and trendy clothes at a low-cost, while also providing free clothing to women in need in the area.
Danna Fields, Community Engagement Manager, said volunteerism has been a crucial part in keeping all three of Beautiful Lives storefronts in the Northwest Arkansas area functional. Volunteers serve in a variety of roles from sorting and tagging new donations, creating store displays, and assisting customers while they shop.
The organization previously had a storefront in Little Rock in 2015 but found difficulties in keeping it running due to a lack of volunteers. Fields credited a large number of college students for their success in the Northwest Arkansas area.
“We are so incredibly grateful for our student volunteers,” Fields said. Student volunteers come not only from the University but also from local high schools in the area.
Beautiful Lives has also provided with GivePulse, a University of Arkansas student resource that helps students discover unique volunteer opportunities in the area. Students can also register their time at Beautiful Lives for volunteer hours for Greek Like or Registered Student Organizations.
“We’re a nonprofit boutique,” Fayetteville Store Manager Nicole Roberts said, “and everything we earn we give back to one of our missionary partners who help women in crisis.”
All proceeds made in store or online sales are donated to 10 different charities within the area that Beautiful Lives has partnered with. All partnerships are with fellow nonprofits that aim to aid women in crisis, including Hub of Hope and Saving Grace.
Beautiful Lives prove to be more than just a thrift store for women. They aim to serve as a stable place for women to come, outside of shopping for clothes, offering sitting spaces and warm coffee for women in need of a safe spot to go to.
Beautiful Lives accepts donations of clothing, shoes, and accessories year round at any of their designated dropoff locations. For more information, visit their website at https://www.beautifullivesboutique.com/
