Shopping sustainably proves numerous benefits, ranging from saving money to saving the environment. But, have you ever considered the benefits of shopping at thrift stores to support their mission? Durham Rescue Mission and Second Bloom of Chatham both have goals of working towards changing the lives of local people in the community.
Omniscient: Who does your store benefit?
Durham Rescue Mission: Many of the people who come through the Durham Rescue Mission get a job working at one of our thrift stores. All of our store managers were once clients who came through our program and now manage our stores. Sometimes people who come through our doors have a difficult time getting a job because of things from their past life, but we like to give people a second chance. Durham Rescue Mission Thrift Stores help fund the Durham Rescue Mission, so when you shop at one of our stores you are helping change the lives of men, women and children!
Second Bloom of Chatham: Our store supports the work we do to assist and advocate for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. We also serve as a hub of information for the community about the work we do and how people can help.
Omniscient: What is the history of your store?
Durham Rescue Mission: We now have five thrift stores and also a training center/outlet store! Our thrift stores provide employment and on-the-job training for the men and women of the Durham Rescue Mission. The thrift store allows the Mission to offer a hand-up rather than a handout to those needing a fresh start in the Raleigh-Durham community…The Training Center is a vital part of the daily operations of the Durham Rescue Mission. [There], donations are received, sorted, tagged and disbursed to each of the mission thrift stores.
Second Bloom of Chatham: The store was first opened up in 2003 and the original site was on Hillsborough Street in Pittsboro. It became so successful that, when we got the opportunity, we moved to a larger store in the Food Lion shopping center. The name Second Bloom reflects our work to empower victims and survivors as they build lives free of violence and abuse.
Omniscient: What can students at Northwood do to benefit your mission?
Durham Rescue Mission: By donating your gently used items to our thrift stores you are helping provide jobs, clothing and hope to those who come through the doors of the Durham Rescue Mission. Without the help of our volunteers, we would not be able to do what we do! There are many ways to volunteer. You can volunteer at one of our community events, serve a meal, help at one of our thrift stores, host a clothing drive for one of our stores or for one of our community events, the possibilities are endless…If you have questions [about] volunteering or hosting a drive you can contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Lenny Sutherland at lenny.sutherland@durhamrescuemission.org.
Second Bloom of Chatham: We would love to have Northwood students do a clothing drive to make sure we have the kinds of clothes they’re interested in at Second Bloom. Also, we’re always happy to have new volunteers come work at the store, so if anyone at Northwood is interested, we would be happy to talk with them! We would also love to have some Northwood students be able to bring awareness of the issues we deal with at Second Bloom (the office). April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so it would be great to have some Northwood students be willing to address it on campus.
Omniscient: What do your stores do for the local community? Are the impacts of your efforts visible?
Durham Rescue Mission: One of the main things we do for the community is our Annual Community Events. We have 4 each year: Easter, Back-to-School, Thanksgiving and Christmas. At these events we have a hot, fresh meal, clothing giveaways, grocery giveaways, games, door prizes and all for those in the community…The City of Durham has one of the lowest “Unsheltered Homeless” rates in the area…The Durham Rescue Mission plays a large role in keeping Durham safe by helping the homeless find shelter and food so that the homeless don’t feel compelled to do drastic measures just to survive.
Second Bloom of Chatham: We do a variety of things in the community. First and foremost is our advocacy work, but we also do community education and work closely with allied professionals across Chatham County. We think our efforts are visible but in a quiet way. For many victims and survivors, talking about what they’ve experienced can be difficult and traumatizing. What we do is provide a safe, non-judgmental place for them to openly talk about their experiences. That tends to be the first step towards healing.
The Durham Rescue Mission and Second Bloom of Chatham are both growing organizations looking to create a safer community. For further information regarding either of the two organizations, visit https://durhamrescuemission.org/ or https://www.secondbloomofchatham.org/.
