Like any business, Renesting has some jargon associated with our daily activities. One of the most eyebrow-raising phrases thrown around in the warehouse is:

“We can give this to the stripper lady.”

When new volunteers hear this, they generally have one of two reactions: stunned silence, or a questioning giggle. Our regulars love to explain who the stripper lady is and the important role she plays in being good stewards of the donations we receive.

Now and then, the linens donated to us have a stain or tear that we can’t remedy. We don’t want to give our clients items like this so instead we give them to our stripper lady! She got her nickname because she cuts the linens into long strips and returns them to us. Surprisingly, we go through these strips incredibly fast. We use them to tie bags closed and keep bundles of towels, sheets, silverware, cutlery, and other items together.

Using a thin strip of cloth to tie a bag closed means it can be easily reopened to add more items that may not have been available when the bag was originally packed. This is especially true when we’re running low on bed and bath linens. A simply tied piece of cloth is also monumentally easier to untie than a knot in a plastic bag or a tightly wrapped rubber band around a bundle of knives!

Our stripper lady, who wants to remain anonymous, came to us through one of our regular volunteers. She asked how she could help and when she found out we use strips of cloth, she said, “I can do that!” When she receives the sheets, she washes and bleaches them and then strips them!

Before she became our stripper lady, we had volunteers and kids doing the cutting. While their work was always appreciated… it often made for some inconsistent lengths and widths, as I’m sure you can imagine.

All of this is to say, when you hear about the stripper lady at the Nest, you’ll know who we’re talking about.

Thank you stripper lady!

Comment below:
What is other jargon you’ve heard at the Nest?