Fort Lewis Thrift Shop

UI/UX, Web Design, Branding

Project Overview: Fort Lewis Thrift Shop

Role: Lead Developer

Timeline: 4 Weeks | 2025

Tech Stack: Google Sites, Adobe Creative Cloud

The Fort Lewis Thrift Shop, a nonprofit serving the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) military community, lacked a central hub for essential information. Patrons frequently struggled to find accurate hours and location details, while the shop faced a recurring logistical challenge: the high volume of unacceptable donations.

They also needed a legacy logo vectorized, and, just for fun, I threw in a modernized logo just to get some extra practice. All files were handed off with a detailed Logo File Guide explaining the best use and purpose for each file type included in their logo package.

The Challenge

The client needed a professional web presence that was:

Low-Cost to Build and Maintain: To support the military community, I donated my development services for this build. I focused on creating a high-impact, low-maintenance site that costs the nonprofit less than $50/year in domain hosting fees to operate.
User-Friendly for Staff: The site needed to be easily updated by non-technical volunteers.
Educational: It needed to actively reduce the labor-intensive processing of "junk" donations.

The Solution

Instead of over-engineering the project with a complex CMS, I strategically selected Google Sites to provide a secure, $0-overhead solution.

Strategic Content Design: To solve the donation issue, I created a comprehensive "Donation Guide." Beyond listing shop policies, I researched and integrated a directory of local alternative donation and disposal resources, redirecting users to appropriate drop-off points for items the shop couldn't accept.
Intuitive Information Architecture: I designed a streamlined site map (Home, About, Volunteer, and Contact) to ensure military families could find critical information within two clicks.
Creative Assets: Leveraging Adobe Creative Cloud, I developed custom visual assets and enhanced images that elevated the standard Google Sites layout, ensuring the shop’s brand felt professional and community-focused.
Fillable PDF Employee Application: I created an interactive fillable PDF employee application.

The Impact & Value

I completed this project as a pro bono initiative to support the JBLM military community. By donating my development services and selecting a zero-cost platform, I delivered a professional solution where the client’s only overhead is a ~$50/year domain registration. The result is a sustainable "digital front door" that allows the nonprofit to focus 100% of its budget on its mission rather than web maintenance fees, while the new donation resources serve as a proactive tool to reduce the physical burden of waste on their staff.

Additionally, the new branding assets make it easier for their in-house volunteers to created crisp social media posts and flyers.

View Site: www.fortlewisthriftshop.com