We have a very eclectic and fun-loving group of people working here at our store. Meet our Philanthropy family!
Christina – Founder/Buyer
Christina opened Philanthropy in 2007 with her former business partner Marianne. She is now our fearless leader, our guiding light, and our greatest asset. Though Christina is a mother of two college age boys and a toddler , she has found a home in entrepreneurship. With Philanthropy as her fourth successful business, she discovered a true calling combining fashion with compassion. She’s here every day, watching us, guiding us, and making us laugh. She’ll tell you all about “the scary place in her head” where all of our display ideas come from – truth is, it’s her background in Visual Merchandising with a BA in Interior Design and some serious architectural ability that make it happen. As our lead-buyer, her taste for extraordinary and uncommon pieces creates Philanthropy’s ever changing collection of clothing, jewelry and decor pieces. Above all else, her belief that God created her to give a voice to those who may not have one makes Christina a rare and completely awe-inspiring friend, mother, and person. We’re not sure how she does it all, but we’re very glad she does.
Christopher – Owner
Christopher is Christina’s husband, business partner, and resident handyman. Although he earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Horticulture and worked for years as a skilled landscape architect, he’s content to help around the store where necessary. Whenever a lightbulb burns out, a door handle breaks, a plant is dying, or a floor board creeks, he’s there to fix it. And not only that, he can out-design, out-display, and out-style any of us, and all in half the time. The store wouldn’t be quite the visual wonder that it is without his capable hands and discerning eye.
Willow – Future Boss/Fashionista
Willow is Christina and Christopher’s adorable daughter who came into the world in December of 2009, and currently acts as our store mascot. At the ripe old age of two and a half, she already has a very well curated wardrobe thanks to her talented mom. We give Willow lots of love and respect not only because she’s the cutest kid in the universe, but because we know that one day she’s going to be telling us what to do. In truth, she’s already the boss…we just don’t know it yet.
Ashley – Store Manager
Ashley is our tatted, dark haired, funky rebel chick who came to work for us in September of 2010. At first she just filled in where needed, but as it turned out, she received her B.A. in Journalism, and had years of impressive management experience under her belt. So when the position became available, we made her our Store Manager, and boy are we glad we did. Ashley has one of the peppiest personalities we’ve ever encountered, and if you’re feeling down, she will definitely make your day feel sunnier.
Elly – Operations Manager/Buyer
In October of 2010, Christina called Elly to see if she would like to come work for her. As it turned out, she did want to come work at Philanthropy, she just didn’t realize it until that phone call. Now she is our operations & social media manager, one of our buyers and our consistently calm voice of reason. After many years of searching for her place in the world, Elly feels that she’s finally found a home at Philanthropy. We hate her (just a little) cause she’s skinny, but we love her (kind of a lot) cause she’s so sweet.
Kristi -Assistant Manager
We thought our Ashley was a little ball of energy…until we met Kristi. Even on trying days, she has more energy and pep than most of us on our good days! She came to us in the beginning of 2012 from Charleston, South Carolina. Though working with clothes is quite a departure from the world of toys she was used to, she’s had no trouble acclimating, and is now right at home fixing our customers up in the cutest outfits. Make sure and tell her if you’re from the Carolinas…you’ll get a big hug and maybe a little squeal of joy 
Celia – Sales Associate
Celia is our weekend warrior. We count on her peppy attitude, helping hands, and warm heart to get us through those long Saturday afternoons. As the youngest member of our staff, she’s kind enough to let us in on what the cool kids are doing these days so we don’t fall behind. Celia is always happy to help with whatever needs to be done around the shop, and she delights in helping our customers find just what they’re looking for.
Mary – Sales Associate
Probably one of the sweetest and most genuine people you’ll ever meet, we were delighted to welcome Mary to our tight-knit group. She’s always happy to tell you the story of Philanthropy, and why we do what we do. When she’s not helping out at the store, she’s hard at work on her Speech Pathology degree. With her warm smile and encouraging words, she’ll help guide you in the right direction and make sure you leave with a full heart.
Becky – Sales Associate
A couple of months ago, a slightly soft spoken woman came in and asked to speak with our Manager. A few minutes later, the two of them went into the backroom, and 30 minutes after that we had a new employee! It was pretty clear that God had led her to us, and she has already been a great asset to our team. She lends a fresh perspective to our customers, and has a natural talent for pulling just the right pieces. We originally met her when she was working next door at Starbucks (helping us to get our daily coffee fix!) but now we’re happy to have her as part of our Philanthropy Family!