Optimist Club Thrift Store reopens with sale
By PAMELA GRANT
Cove Leader-Press
The Optimist Club’s Thrift Store reopens its doors on Friday, Jan. 27 and is having a huge blowout sale at 332 Cove Terrace Shopping Center, next to the Coryell County Tax Office in Copperas Cove.
After closing shortly after Christmas and remodeling, the Thrift Store is ready to open with a bang while they raise funds for the community.
Outside the store, they will have a “fill a bag for $1” sale and inside the store, they will have a “fill a bag of clothes for $2” sale. They will be giving away gingerbread houses while they last.
Store hours are Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The store now accepts credit cards as well as cash.
Another new addition to the store is a consignment area. The store takes 25 percent of sales and checks are paid to consigners on the 2nd Wednesday each month.
“The Thrift Store is an ongoing fundraiser for the Optimist Club,” explained Tanja Ridings, store manager. “We only exist from donations. The money that we take in goes to Saint Jude’s, Blue Santa, we adopted the high school band, we help families in need. There’s just so much on the list…All of us are volunteers, so nobody here gets paid.”
The store is run solely through volunteers and most of the work is done by just three women, Tanja Ridings, Linda Makinson, and Mary Dias.
“We really enjoy this place,” said Ridings. “We’re like a little tightknit family.”
Ridings said that she’s especially happy for all the help Makinson and Dias provide.
Those looking to complete community service hours can find volunteer opportunities with the Thrift Store.
“We always need volunteers,” said Ridings. “We’re always looking for someone to fit into our tightknit family.”
Ridings said that while they were closed, they completely revamped the store which was a lot of work. Ridings was proud of how nice the store looks after their revamp and hopes that lots of people will come and check out their shop and take advantage of their cheap prices.
For more information, check out Nonprofit Optimist Thriftstore Copperas Cove on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/covehelp) or send an email to optimistcove32@gmail.com
Those looking to donate can do so during regular store hours. If you need to drop something off during other hours, they request that you text them at either (254)-781-9331 or (254) 206-1722.