In its fiscal year ending May 31, The Second Chance Shop donated a record $242,000 to its nonprofit parent, The Village for Families & Children, according to Ellen Peterson, Shop President.
Sales after discounts increased 20.4% compared to the previous year. From that amount, the shop donated $105,000. Grants, personal donations, and bequests comprised the remaining $137,000.
The Second Chance Shop’s annual donation to The Village for Families & Children. (L to R) Sharon Sheridan, a shop manager, Village President Hector Glynn, Ellen Peterson, shop president and Darlene Burrell, treasurer.
“Through the efforts of 74 dedicated volunteers, our operation moves with precision,” Peterson said. The store sells gently used clothing and collectibles.
“There are sorters, people who dress the mannequins and build displays, a team that creates emails that go to over 970 shoppers weekly, two eBay listing specialists, a skilled social media expert and loads of others who help with chores as diverse as stocking gondolas, cleaning and transferring items from our offsite storage unit. Customers constantly remark about the quality of our merchandise.”
Peterson said about 15% of sales are for new, tagged items that have never been worn or used. Used women’s tops and blouses are the highest-grossing offerings, followed by designer apparel and collectibles.
“In July, we added a wall jewelry display and recently started selling used watches fitted with new batteries, which have been popular,” she said. “It’s really amazing how many items we can offer in a little over 1,000 square feet.”
Peterson said she’s excited about the over one dozen new volunteers who signed on to help during the last year. She’s also grateful to the Town of Suffield, which awarded the shop a $1,400 TIF grant to upgrade its outdoor sign with new LED lighting and graphics.