Listen up bargain hunters, spend money here and feel good about it after
Alyson Andrews’ mother has been battling Alzheimer’s disease for 15 years.
It has been a family effort to care for Carol Babcock as she needs someone to help her 24 hours, seven days a week.
The Andrews’ situation is not unlike many caregivers of those with the disease. And when the Horry County family discovered there were not a lot of support or services for caregivers or for a person facing the disease, they decided to use their life savings to create ALZ Foundation and open a thrift store where the proceeds go to helping those in the community.
Memory Lane, a nonprofit thrift and retail shop located at 2152 Highway 17 Business in Murrells Inlet, was started by the Andrews family three years ago and sells items that are donated or received through estate sales. The shop is self-funded and all the proceeds go to helping those suffering with Alzheimer’s or dementia, Kevin Andrews said.
“It’s important to us,” Andrews said. “We don’t get anything out of it.”
It’s one of several nonprofit thrift stores along the Grand Strand that uses its proceeds to give back to causes or organizations. Here are six of them.
Memory Lane
The thrift store accepts all types of donations, including clothes, home decor, dishes, antiques, lamps, furniture and jewelry.
Both Kevin and Alyson Andrews gave up their careers to help those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Alyson was an educator, but still operates a cleaning service part-time. Kevin formerly owned Good Day Cafe, which had locations in Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach. The family had to close the locations after he was in a serious car crash and almost died.
Before the thrift store, Kevin and Alyson Andrews started the ALZ Foundation in 2015. It has resources, offers support meetings and free estate sale services for those who have passed away or are moving into a nursing home.
The money from the thrift store helps pay for resources as well as nine employees, who are people with disabilities, including autism and Down Syndrome.
In addition, the foundation operates Carol’s Closet, a program that brings the store to a nursing home where those with Alzheimer’s or dementia get to shop for anything they want with play money. That includes clothes, jewelry, bags and other items.
“The smiles we bring on their faces, it brings you to tears,” Andrews said.
The family wants people to know that those who are suffering or have died from Alzheimer’s are moms, fathers and grandmothers. They are more than “the disease that took them away,” Andrews said.
“It’s not easy,” Andrews said of their mission, “but it’s worth it when you can make somebody with this disease smile or feel good.”
Craig’s Corner
This Surfside Beach thrift store is operated by three families who choose the items in the store. In addition to donations received, the families also buy certain products to be sold.
The store, which began in 2010, is operated by volunteers and uses the proceeds to help veterans, individuals and families who are in need or crisis and community projects.
Items that can’t be used at the store at 1409 Highway 17 S are donated to other non-profit agencies.
Payin It Forward
The mission of this nonprofit thrift store in Garden City is to feed the community through food donations. It sells such donated items as furniture, vintage and antiques, home decor, kitchenware, clothes and appliances.
Proceeds from sold items at the store, located at 2761 Highway 17 S, go to feeding the homeless and those in need.
The Store
At first glance this two-story white home located along Highway 90 in Conway may seem like it’s constantly having a yard sale as there are items, such as bikes, lawn and garden and building supplies, covering the front lawn, porch and even extending to the carport.
It’s just as packed on the inside with furniture, home decor, albums, linens, kitchen items, holiday decorations and other electric items that you might not find elsewhere.
It truly is a treasure hunt as you make your way through each room.
The Store, located at 1874 Highway 90, is a partnership between Horry County Council on Aging and Horry County Solid Waste Authority. It accepts donations to resell and the money is used to fund senior programs and help senior citizens in the county.
Fostering Hope
The Conway resale shop is part of Fostering Hope, which provides necessities for children in crisis situations. Proceeds from the items sold at the store help offset operational expenses for the organization.
The shop is located in downtown at 308 Elm St. and has items that include antiques, wedding dresses, furniture, home decor and paintings.
The organization supplies children who might be starting over in a new environment with resources, clothes, personal hygiene items, school supplies, toys and books to help them in what could be a difficult transition.
Habitat for Humanity of Horry County Restore
Habitat for Humanity has long been known for its mission of providing access to affordable housing for families in need.
Its retail stores, located at 165 Co-op Road in Myrtle Beach and 2191 Highway 9 East in Longs, accepts new and gently-used home furnishings, appliances, building materials and home items, such as lamps, paintings and rugs, that are donated from residents and businesses.
The items are sold at a discount than what you can buy in the store and the profits go back to Habitat for Humanity to help build homes for those in need.
