Written by Kenzie James \/\/ Photo by Briley Kemper<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Searcy nonprofit thrift store The Sharing Shoppe officially reopened its doors this week and celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sharing Shoppe is a part of Sparrow\u2019s Promise, a local nonprofit organization that has supported children and foster families for over 50 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sharing Shoppe opened in 2009 and has served the community as a thrift store and donation center since then. All proceeds from the store support Sparrow\u2019s Promise and its efforts to help families stay together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jill Davis, the secretary of the Sparrow\u2019s Promise board, said the nonprofit has addressed this need in multiple ways in the last 50 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSparrow\u2019s Promise has tried to adapt to say, \u2018What is the biggest need and what can we do to help?\u2019\u2019\u2019 Davis said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The nonprofit opened a visit center a few years ago, addressing the need for a comfortable place for parents to meet weekly to play and spend time with their children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sharing Shoppe also works with other local charities to serve the community, including His House, Imagine and Believe, and one of College Church of Christ\u2019s ministries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beverly Ford, the coordinator for the Sharing Shoppe, said the charities sort through their donations and send each other items that would be more beneficial to the people each charity serves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sharing Shoppe had to relocate buildings after its lease ended and worked for nine months to find a building to open again. After finding a building, volunteers worked to set up the store and organize the donations received before they opened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now located on Race Street next to Firehouse Subs, the Shoppe opened March 5 and celebrated the ribbon cutting March 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think this is a great location, and we\u2019ve had a lot of customers already and a lot of new people coming in,\u201d volunteer Brenda Roach said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roach said she has been working at the Sharing Shoppe for nine years and started because of her sister. Roach said that when she retired, her sister was volunteering at the Shoppe and that now they volunteer together each week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of the workers at the Sharing Shoppe are volunteers, and a different group volunteers every day to sort and sell the donations the store receives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEverybody here \u2015 their passion, their compassion \u2015 everything\u2019s for the kids, and what we work for is foster children who have been taken away from their families,\u201d Ford said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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