New thrift store plans to share the profits
VINTON - On Friday September 9, with great pomp and circumstance, Charity Cottage Thrift Store officially opened its doors for business. Located at 301 South Pollard St., in Vinton, this is not your typical thrift store, nor is it your typical business.
Charity Cottage Thrift Store is run by the Advancement Foundation which, according to their website, works to lead community wide social change by improving the lives of the underprivileged. Through the Charity Cottage Thrift Store they plan to raise money for local non-profits The West End Center, Manna Ministries, and Project Access, which helps those who are uninsured and have low income get health care thanks to 500 doctors and 50 dentists involved with the program.
Members of the Advancement Foundation along with representatives from the Town of Vinton and the Vinton Chamber of Commerce gather outside to cut the ribbon and commemorate the official opening of the store. - Photo by Carrie E. Cox
The store’s unique look is a reflection of all the hard work that volunteers put into it, as well as the fact that all the supplies, right down to the paint used on the walls, were reclaimed and re-used supplies obtained mostly from Habit for Humanity’s Re-Store in downtown Roanoke.
There is a coffee shop, The Morning Star, in the front of the store where visitors can grab a cup of joe, a baked good, and mingle while watching traffic go by through the large glass windows that look out onto Pollard Street.
The interior’s look and vibe is quite different from other thrift stores in the area. Rather than rows of clothing and more under glaring over head lights, Charity Cottage Thrift Store’s interior is one reminiscent of a new trendy boutique. The two large rooms of the building are artfully broken up into several smaller “rooms” by their design and function. A table is fully set with for a dinner party; couches in one area are adorned with plump decorative pillows; knick-knacks line the shelves of curio cabinets; sweaters are stored in a very chic double-sided dresser, which itself is topped with a gorgeous display of jewelry that attracted the attention of all the women during the gala like bees to honey.
Folks mingle about inside the cafe area after the ribbon cutting ceremony. - Photo by Carrie E. Cox
Items from the store come both from donations as well as from goods that are handmade. Feel Good Jewelry pieces fill the store made by those who, according to the East Mental Health flier, “wish to learn new skills and contribute more, and be more included in society.” The program provides their clients with basic education and skills required to make the unique jewelry.
The opening ceremony began with a speech from Mayor Grose on the town’s hopes for the store’s positive impact on the community, with Mayor Grose expressing gratitude to the store for choosing Vinton as their location. Annette Patterson, President of the Advancement Foundation, then made a brief speech outlining the store’s mission and vision for the future as well as highlighting many of the details about the store, the work that went into it, the non-profits it will benefit, and those that played a significant role in the fruition of the opening itself. A large ribbon cutting ceremony was then held out front of the store, with a policeman kindly stopping traffic to accommodate the crowd in attendance. As of 1pm September 9, the store was officially open for business.
Store hours are Monday – Friday 7am -6pm and Saturday 9am -5pm. The store also has a website, www.charitycottagethriftstore.com, and aims to have its online store up and running sometime this Fall.
Story by Carrie E. Cox
To see all the photos from the Grand Opening Celebration please visit our Flickr site by clicking here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourvalleynewspapers/sets/72157627639228114/
