Thrift store offers Second Chances

Most non-profit organizations have a hard time keeping afloat because of lack of funding. Allen County Animal Rescue Facility (ACARF) found its saving grace when three women decided more needed to be done for the rescue facility.
Glenda Helton, Jeanne Cloud and Ginny Hawk tried to set up a booth at the Farmer’s Market, but non-profit organizations are not allowed to for fear the organization leaving after making so much money, Helton said.
The women turned to the owner of the now Second Chances building, making a deal where they could run a shop that people can donate goods to be resold.
“The owner has been really good to us,” Helton said. “He allows us to barter our rent.”
There are 11 people who now volunteer at the shop, and none of them receive money for the time they spend at the store; this not including the time they spend going to the rescue facility and volunteering there.
“We get periodic raises, from nothing to nothing-plus,” Helton said.
The group of volunteers works as a community. They have set schedules as to who will be manning the store, and if someone can’t work, then someone usually will step in.
“This is a community store,” Helton said. “We wouldn’t be able to run it without donations. The amount of donations have truly astounded us.”
The store has been open since Nov. 15 and all proceeds go to ACARF. The store has been able to give ACARF $14,550 to date. There have been 170 donors, some multiple times, and 3700 items donated.
The people at Second Chances also set up a food trailer at local events such as the fair and Farm City Days. They sell frito pies, hot dogs and they even bring out the grill sometimes, Helton said. All of which is run by the volunteers.
All the volunteers have one thing in common, the are all pet lovers. “All the volunteers have at least one dog,” Helton said.
Volunteer, Judy Laver, has four dogs she rescued from ACARF, and when she is not working at the store she goes down to the rescue facility and walks dogs, she said.
Second Chances and ACARF will also be sponsoring the Mad Melvin carnival and all the proceeds will go to helping the dogs and cats at the rescue facility.