Dusty Donkey Emporium marks a decade of supporting the Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative
The thrift shop was started a decade ago to provide income to the initiative and give volunteers another way to contribute when the stewardship work became too difficult.
The Dusty Donkey Emporium marked its 10th anniversary on Aug. 8 with a birthday celebration honoring a decade of thrift, volunteerism and support for the Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative.
For 10 years, the thrift shop has given used clothing, furniture, housewares and other goods a second life while generating revenue for the initiative’s work to protect and restore the forest, where ancient wiliwili trees persist in some of the roughest terrain in Hawai‘i.
The shop has also become a gathering place for residents, visitors and volunteers who share a connection to the forest and to one another.
The idea for the Dusty Donkey began in 2016 with the inititative’s President Emeritus Beverley Brand, who had spent years working in the forest preserve. As outdoor stewardship became more difficult, Brand envisioned a thrift shop that could provide a dependable source of income for the forest while creating new ways for community members to volunteer.
Her first attempt to secure space at the Waikōloa Stables was rejected by the Waikōloa Village Association’s Board of Directors.
When the doors finally opened, many of the shop’s first items came from Brand’s own belongings.
The opportunity proved especially meaningful for volunteers who could no longer work in the demanding conditions of the dry forest, where heat, strong winds and rough lava terrain can make stewardship physically challenging.
Linda Williamson, who met Brand in 2007 and shared years of forest work, remembers the early restoration efforts as painstaking work.
When working in the forest was no longer feasible, Williamson found that volunteering at the thrift store was “a way I could continue to contribute to the forest, which I dearly love. That is my passion; that is why I’m here.”
Dusty Donkey manager Greta Zimmer sees the shop as resting on four pillars: supportive community, economic peace, environmental impact and ecological support.
The community aspect is evident among the volunteers, many of whom say their relationships with one another are among the best parts of the job. During slow periods, volunteers may gather in the shade for a midday tea party, sharing snacks, jokes and conversation.
“The people I’ve met here all work here for different reasons,” Williamson said. “It’s wonderful social connection, and it’s fun. You share a life.”
Susan Glick, another volunteer, said the friendships she has made at the shop have extended beyond her volunteer hours.
“Everybody is so nice, and I just can’t believe the friendships I’ve made, where we actually do stuff together,” Glick said. “The people who come here are the coolest.”
The shop’s reach extends well beyond Waikōloa. Longtime volunteer Pam Partain recalled meeting a visitor from California who said they learned about the Dusty Donkey from someone else while traveling in Europe.
Affordability is another part of the shop’s mission. With the cost of living rising in Hawaiʻi, Zimmer said the Dusty Donkey aims to provide reasonably priced goods to people who need them. Clothing, housewares, collectibles and furniture are frequently priced at $10 or less.
“The economy is crazy, the cost of living is insane here,” Zimmer said.
“We provide some relief to that. And hopefully, we can help out some people who are really in desperate situations.”
The shop’s secondhand model also addresses the environmental consequences of consumption and disposal.
“The third pillar is environmental impact,” Zimmer said. “I don’t think we can keep acting like things are created on the shelf at the store and then go out of existence when we put them in our trash can.”
By giving donated goods new homes, the Dusty Donkey keeps usable items in circulation and encourages customers to consider what happens to discarded belongings after they leave the household.
At the center of all four pillars is the Waikōloa Dry Forest.
Purchases at the shop directly support the initiative’s efforts, including native species conservation, wildfire mitigation and public education. The initiative also offers free programs, including the Biocultural Talk Series and Future Foresters.
“Look. Look at all this degraded land outside of the fence,” Williamson tells friends. “Now, look over here. This happened in 10 years.”
Looking around the shop during its 10th anniversary celebration, Brand summed up what the Dusty Donkey has become in two words: “exponentially wonderful.”
The Dusty Donkey Emporium is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Donations are only accepted during open hours.
It is located at the Waikōloa Stables, 68-1936 Waikōloa Road just mauka of the village. For questions, call 808-345-7798
