LYNN HAVEN — St. Andrew Bay Center will hold a grand opening for a new thrift store that will help the nonprofit raise money and provide its clients with job training.
St. Andrew Bay Center, which assists adults with disabilities such as cerebral palsy so they can live as independently as possible, is finalizing preparations for the store in order to open on Dec. 2, said Director of Communications and Development Ron Sharpe.
It's no coincidence they chose Dec. 2 for the grand opening, Sharpe said. Dec. 2 is Giving Tuesday, which was created in 2012 to celebrate generosity and giving and has been embraced by organizations around the globe, though it is not as well known as Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
"You can volunteer your time, you talent, your treasures ... but give back," Sharpe said.
St. Andrew Bay Center has seen revenue decrease in past years, and the store is an enhanced response to that phenomenon compared to previous fundraising efforts.
"We've been doing yard sales once a quarter," Sharpe said.
The store, which will be at 1700 Alabama Ave. in Lynn Haven, will be selling all the typical thrift store wares: books, clothing, home goods, furniture. St. Andrew Bay Center is accepting donations, and, without really knowing how great the demand would be, Sharpe said tax-deductible donations of children's clothes and holiday decorations can be dropped off at the organization's headquarters at 1804 Carolina Ave. and likely would be especially needed this time of year.
The efforts have already been rewarded with support from numerous merchants. For example, Kohl's and other stores have donated hundreds of hangers, and Home Depot donated the carpeting, which Paul Aronson, a flooring store employee, personally paid $300 to have installed, Sharpe said.
When it opens, St. Andrew Bay Center clients will staff it, Sharpe said. It will provide them a paycheck and an opportunity to get work experience in a retail setting.
"It's a win-win for all and something new for us," Sharpe said.