Trina Fritts (left) and Susan Wetz (right) stand outside of the newly remodeled Communities in Schools Thrift Store at 1058 N. Business I-35. (Emily Harter/Community Impact)
The Communities in Schools Thrift Store is building on its mission to provide a budget-friendly space to shop while helping students and families in need following a three-month remodel.
What’s new
The thrift store, located at 1058 N. Business I-35, started in March 2010. It temporarily closed for renovations in April and reopened in July, Store manager Trina Fritts said.
Staff deep cleaned the store, resealed and polished the floors and moved fixtures to make the store more accessible. They added fitting rooms and painted the store's interior and exterior. The parking lot was repaved, which created designated parking spaces for donors. The driveway was also widened to make the store more accessible.
Every dollar spent at the thrift store goes back to supporting students who need additional help to stay in school, said Susan Wetz, Communities in Schools of South Central Texas chief executive officer.
The store distributes shopping vouchers to students and families in extra need, who can then use the vouchers at the store to buy clothing, books and toys.
Wetz recalled a time when she helped a parent who had experienced some life changes and needed a new start pick out an outfit for a job interview.
"To see her take that next step and to feel empowered," Wetz said. "It's a beautiful thing."
The thrift store also accepts donations, including:
Clothing
Books
Toys
Furniture
Home decor
The thrift store does not accept broken or damaged items, large appliances, outdated electronics, mattresses or box springs or used undergarments. The store also does not accept items donated outside of store hours, according to its website.
The thrift store offers women's, men's and children's clothing as well as toys, books, home decor and more. Emily Harter/Community Impact
Quote of note
Fritts said the Communities in Schools Thrift Store is more than a retail store; it exists to "bypass barriers to education and fund the caring network of support that keeps local kids in school and on the path to graduation."
"When a neighborhood invests in its schools through local initiatives like this thrift store, the school invests right back, building a stronger, more resilient foundation for everyone," Fritts said. "We are all better together."
