Non-profit organization donates thousands of dollars through retail sale of donated items
HOT SPRINGS – Did you know your unwanted clothes and household items can be donated year-round to benefit the community in a variety of different ways?
Recently, Fall River Thrift Store presented checks totaling $12,000 to nine different volunteer fire departments in Fall River County. In addition, they also have an ongoing donation of $500 per month to the Hot Springs Ministerial Association to help fund the Hot Springs Food Pantry. And next month, the local thrift store will also be awarding a total of $6,000 in college scholarships to worthy Hot Springs High School seniors.
All of that money was generated through retail sales of items at the Fall River Thrift Store, located at 144 S. Chicago Street – the building with the large cartoon mural of animals riding bikes.
The store’s ability to reinvent itself and now generate that amount of goodness for the area is a testament to the hard work of several volunteers, who took over the former thrift store previously associated with Community Action.
Several board members, who were at one time associated with that business, inherited the store and its contents two years ago, formed a new 501c3 non-profit, changed it’s name and moved it all to a smaller location at 112 S. Chicago (now Fall River Fibers). There, they downsized the store’s inventory and developed a new mission with a new philosophy, which allowed them to start donating funds back to the community.
Fall River Thrift Store operated there for about two years, but in the fall of 2024, an opportunity arose where the board could purchase their current building, which is often referred to as the old Robb’s building which operated there for several years in the early 2000s.
Led by Board President Donald Hill and his wife Alice, who serves as the Treasurer, the two were able to raise the funds – including a considerable amount of their own – to buy the 7,500 square foot building late last year. Donald was born in Hot Springs but moved away at a young age. His parents moved back to Hot Springs later in their life, which is why he and his wife moved back to Hot Springs after retiring about eight years ago as well.
Other current Fall River Thrift Store board members include Barb Walter (Vice President), Kathy Meyers (Secretary), Hal Glanville and Larry Quillen.
The store was closed for much of October 2024 but reopened in November 2024 and has been serving patrons there ever since.
Donald Hill said that since their non-profit organization now owns the building outright and no longer pays
THRIFT STORE, page A7 rent, they’ve been able reduce their monthly expenses to just its utilities, which however has included a $1,500 fuel bill during the winter months.
Inaddition,nooneassociated with the store is paid a wage, as the business relies entirely on a core group of about 10 volunteers, who sort through donations every Monday and also work the store when its open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The store accepts donations of all kinds – including clothes, furniture and toys – but they do have a greater need for household items. The store asks that you wash and clean everything before dropping it off, as they do not have laundry machines onsite. Donations are accepted during the three days they are open each week, via the side door near the outdoor mural facing Vision Source. Anything donated that is not able to be put out for sale on the showroom floor is stored and later donated to a person who takes the items to the Pine Ridge reservation where it is given away to anyone who wants it.
While everything in the store is for sale, as low as $1 each, there is a voucher program where people can qualify to be given items for free. Hill said the fire and police departments have the vouchers and can award them to families in need. He said the Ministerial Association also gives out free $20 gift certificates to their store for needy families as well.
Currently, nearly all of the money raised through retail sales at the store have been given back to the community in some form or another. Hill said they may use some of the money to invest back into the building as well. He said some of the lighting in the store needs updating, as well as the water heater and the bathroom.
He said there is also a need for more volunteers, however they are looking for a very specific kind of volunteer who has a strong desire to see the thrift store give back to the community. Much of the volunteer hours associated with the store take place on Mondays from 11am-4pm when they get together and go through the week’s donations and ready it for sale later in the week.
For more information, you can call the Thrift Store at 605-745-3400.