West Tenn. thrift store sets out to help homeless
LEXINGTON, Tenn. — A West Tennessee thrift store is changing its business model in hopes of helping more people in need.
Inside the tiny Lexington store, the shelves are filled with second chances. It’s a part of the nonprofit Tennessee Homeless Solutions, which provides resources to homeless Tennesseans.
“If there’s items like pots and pans, dish sets and some bedding, we do put it back for our clients because that seems to be something that all of our clients need,” said store manager Amber McCadams.
From platters to pants, every item is donated and benefits hundreds of homeless people in more than 23 counties across West Tennessee.
“The proceeds from our store go directly back into our mission,” McCadams said.
One of the main groups of people the store benefits is veterans.
“Eighty percent of the people we are serving is veterans,” said Wayne Snelling, president and CEO of Tennessee Homeless Solutions. “We provide housing and car management services for them.”
The nonprofit uses grants but also brings in extra cash to cover housing, food and clothing through the store, which for the past year has operated as a “make an offer” shop with no set prices.
“We want to make a difference in the community, not just with the homeless population but everybody that walks through our door,” McCadams said. “We want to make a difference in their lives, so if I can knock a price down a dollar or 50 cents to help them out, we want to do that for them.”
But in the next three months, this thrift shop will switch gears as they move into the old Brown Shoe building across town. They’ll change names to “Making a Difference,” extend current store hours and eventually look to hire homeless veterans.
“It is hard to go from military life to civilian life, and military personnel have a certain way of doing things, and so it’s hard for them to get back into the swing of things in life,” McCadams said.
Since the focus is on getting homeless Tennesseans into a sustainable way of life, they say adding the jobs is a natural fit.
“A lot of the people we serve have difficulty finding jobs,” Snelling said.
For now, the store is open three days a week on Mondays through Wednesdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m on Fridays.
Tennessee Homeless Solutions has been based in Lexington for about 11 years. If you or someone you know would like to call their hotline for assistance, the number is 1-866-307-5469.
