All Saint’s parish officially opens new thrift store

The Episcopal Parish of All Saints’ Church & St. George’s Chapel cut the ribbon on its second thrift store location Oct. 18.

The store is in the Midway Shopping Center on Coastal Highway, about three miles north of the original shop on the Forgotten Mile in Rehoboth Beach. 

The All Saints’ Parish Thrift Store at Midway is in the former Beebe Auxiliary Treasure Chest location that closed earlier this year.

“People are happy to have us, happy to have a thrift shop here again,” said Joanna Carty, manager of both thrift store locations.

Carty said volunteers and local vendors worked all summer to get the store in shape for a Sept. 12 soft opening. 

“This is what we celebrate. The hard work that made this place open and the spirit that says we can do something new and different,” said the Rev. Kevin Brown, bishop of the Episcopal Church of Delaware.

Brown blessed the building and called it a physical, sacramental presence of the love of God.

Business has been good since the doors opened in September, Carty said.

“Everything has been selling. Furniture is good. Housewares are good. We tend to see more landlords come in off season,” Carty said.

She said the new store has quickly joined the circuit of local thrift stores for bargain hunters. She said nine out of 10 people who stop at the Midway store also visit their Rehoboth Beach location.

The mission of the thrift store is to give back to the community. Carty said All Saints’ donated more than $220,000 to nonprofits last year, mostly in Sussex County.

She said the Food Bank of Delaware, Tunnell Cancer Center and Community Resource Center were among those that benefited from thrift shop donations.

The store is always looking for volunteers, Carty said.

For more information, go to allsaintsandstgeorges.org.