Donation Drop Off Assistant
Location: 187 High House Road, Cary, NC
Organization: NeighborUp (Dorcas Thrift Shop)
Job Types: Full-time and Part-time
Pay: Starting at $16.00 per hour, with potential for higher starting pay based on experience and skills
About NeighborUp
NeighborUp was formed in 2025 through a merger of two long-standing nonprofits in the local community, Dorcas Ministries of Cary and Western Wake Crisis Ministry of Apex. This merger has strengthened service delivery across Western and most of Southern Wake County, ensuring broader access to food, increased opportunities for financial assistance and case management, expanded workforce development, and enhanced advocacy.
Since 1968, Dorcas Ministries has partnered with the Cary and Morrisville community to support neighbors in need through services such as financial and emergency food assistance, career coaching, and workforce development. Our highly regarded thrift store provides affordable goods and generates vital funding for these programs. Guided by our core values of compassion, dignity, innovation, and stewardship, and supported by more than 1,000 volunteers, we work to help our neighbors thrive.
Western Wake Crisis Ministry was formed in 1983 with support from local churches in response to a need in the Apex community. Their initial focus was basic crisis assistance and has grown to include financial services and a food pantry, with a service area now covering Fuquay Varina, Holly Springs, Willow Spring, New Hill, and Friendship.
About the Role
Donation Drop Off Assistants are key members of our Retail Operations team and serve as front-line ambassadors for NeighborUp’s thrift shop location (Dorcas Thrift Shop) in Cary, NC. This is a very high-volume, public-facing, physically demanding role where you will be on your feet and moving for your entire shift while working primarily in donation drop-off, warehouse, and outdoor areas. The ideal candidate is energized by constant donor
interaction, resilient in a busy environment, and able to stay calm, courteous, and firm when situations require it. This position is well-suited for individuals who enjoy active, hands-on work, working with the public, and contributing to a mission-driven nonprofit.
Schedule, Pay, and Benefits
Schedule:
- Thrift Shop and Donation Center operate Monday through Saturday.
- Core business hours: 8:30am – 6:30pm.
- Shifts may start as early as 7:00am and end as late as 8:00pm.
- Saturday availability is required.
Pay and frequency:
- Starting at $16.00 per hour, depending on experience and skill level.
- Bi-weekly pay through direct deposit.
Breaks:
- A 30-minute lunch break is provided for shifts over 6 hours.
Benefits:
- All employees above the age of 18 are eligible to participate in a 401(k) plan.
- Full-time employees are eligible for health, dental, vision, and paid time off (PTO).
- Specific benefits eligibility and details will be reviewed during the hiring process.
Key Responsibilities
- Work as part of a team to safely receive and manage a high volume of donations continuously throughout the shift.
- Provide friendly, efficient service to donors at the drop-off area, including greeting donors, giving basic guidance on acceptable donations, and assisting with unloading items as appropriate.
- Display good judgment in separating usable and recyclable items upon receipt, following established guidelines and safety practices.
- Transfer, move, and store large volumes of donated inventory in appropriate work areas.
- Operate material handling equipment (such as pallet jacks, carts, and other approved tools) to move, sort, and store donated merchandise safely.
- Retrieve bulky items that have been sold from the warehouse or sales floor to the customer pick-up area for loading, providing courteous service while prioritizing safety.
- Prepare the facility daily for operations by distributing donations from the previous day and ensuring donation, warehouse, and related work areas are ready for volunteers and staff.
- Perform daily housekeeping duties to maintain clean, safe, and organized warehouse, drop-off, exterior, and back-of-house operations areas.
- Follow safety and cleanliness standards to maintain a safe, healthy environment for donors, customers, volunteers, and staff.
- Collaborate with Store Managers, staff, and volunteers to ensure back-of-house tasks are completed in a customer-focused, safe and efficient manner.
- Perform other related duties as assigned based on store needs.
Shifts may involve working in a single primary role (such as donation receiving or bulk item movement) or rotating between multiple roles within the same shift.
Qualifications
- 16 or older, required.
- Previous experience in warehouse, retail, thrift, nonprofit, or other high-volume, physically demanding environments preferred.
- Fluency in English required.
- Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred.
- We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds who are committed to excellent customer service and community impact.
Skills and Competencies
- Strong customer and donor service skills; approachable, friendly, and able to engage with donors, volunteers, and staff in a respectful and professional manner.
- Confident and steady when working with the general public, including the ability to handle occasional difficult interactions with empathy, professionalism, and appropriate firmness.
- Resilient and even-tempered in a very high-volume, fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment with constant motion and frequent interruptions.
- Comfortable making and enforcing clear, polite boundaries related to donation guidelines, safety, and procedures.
- Effective verbal communication skills; able to give clear instructions and updates in busy, noisy environments.
- Ability to work cooperatively with volunteers, staff, and donors from diverse backgrounds.
- Flexible and adaptable; able to shift between donation receiving, sorting, housekeeping, bulky item movement, and other tasks as priorities change.
- Comfortable learning and using basic technology and computer applications related to inventory, routing, or communication.
- Ability and willingness to learn how to train new volunteers and staff on basic donation and warehouse tasks and procedures.
- Ability to operate standard warehouse and material handling equipment (training provided, as needed).
Physical and Work Environment Requirements
- Physically demanding role with the ability and willingness to be on your feet, standing and walking on hard surfaces, for the entire shift.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull items weighing up to 50 pounds repeatedly throughout the shift.
- Frequent bending, reaching, carrying, and moving merchandise or donated items.
- Ability to work in warehouse, donation, and back-of-house environments, as well as outdoor areas that can be subject to varying weather conditions (heat, cold, light rain, etc.).
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
Our Work Environment
The Dorcas Thrift Shop, a member of the NeighborUp Network, is a very busy, high-traffic environment serving a large number of customers and processing substantial donations every day. Donation Drop Off Assistants must enjoy staying active, being on their feet all day, working indoors and outdoors, and interacting with the general public continuously. We are looking for dependable, team-oriented individuals who bring a positive, “can do” attitude and can remain calm, kind, and appropriately firm under pressure while supporting our mission to serve neighbors in need.
How to Apply
To apply for the Donation Drop Off Assistant position:
- Complete the NeighborUp online application as directed in the posting.
We are unable to respond to phone or walk-in inquiries regarding application status. The posting will remain open until all needed positions are filled.
