Since opening, Deja New Consignment has come a long way, now putting on several charity fashion shows a year and accepting donations on behalf of numerous charities.

"My plan from the beginning was to give back to my community, to be involved with charities," says Kathleen Palmer. Kathleen owns Deja New Consignment on Jacarandas in Old Town Vallarta.

After managing a popular Seattle-area thrift store chain called Value Village, Kathleen moved to Puerto Vallarta in 2010 to start her own "value village."

Since opening, Deja New Consignment has come a long way. From Kathleen's first charitable donation to the Bucerías Children’s Program during one of her early fashion parties, she is now putting on several charity fashion shows a year and accepts donations on behalf of numerous charities.

One of Kathleen's most ingenuous ideas has been to invite area charities to open consignment accounts at Deja New. People can then bring in clothes and accessories to consign and the charity of their choice receives the proceeds.

Kathleen says it is not uncommon for her to receive numerous donations to her charitable accounts per day.

In fashion shows that have raised as much as 70,000 pesos, Kathleen's showmanship and enthusiasm shines through. For the ticket price of just 250 pesos, one of Kathleen's fashion shows included door prizes, raffles, lunch, a drink, and - of course - the fashion.

To attend one of Deja New's celebrated charity fashion shows, 'like' the Deja New Consignment page on Facebook and stay abreast of Kathleen's monthly blow-out sales, fashion shows, and other promotions. Her shows always sell-out, so reserve your spot early. In the meantime, clean out your closet and either open your own Deja New account to receive 50% of each sold item or put your things on a charity account.

Do you have an innovative, creative idea to help out your charity? Please contact Kathleen at dejanewconsignment[at]hotmail.com.