Not Just a Resale Store
By TAMERA WHITLOW , LVN , USAF
Sometimes , we forget the real purpose of a non-profit resale store . Our dream was for the store to help us provide hospice care to patients with no money . But after a year , our dream was far exceeded and we now serve the community in many more ways than hospice and palliative care .
At The Treehouse Resale Store is blessed with donations , receiving housewares , home goods , hardware , furniture , and everything in between . People want to help us with our hospice care and their generosity has gone beyond in helping our community . We were able to assist several patients during a tornado disaster with furniture and supplies . Families that lost homes in a fire were able to come to our store and get necessities to start rebuilding their lives .
Our Veteran program helped several veterans get a new start with clothes and household furniture . We helped a school teacher start her kindergarten class with books and learning materials . We partner with Texas Workforce to help their clients with clothes for job interviews and the local women ’ s shelter to help single moms start over . We accumulate a lot of donated medical equipment and offer walkers , hospital beds , shower chairs , and other medical supplies free of charge . We have been blessed with the extra and give it back , asking only that it is returned to us when no longer needed .
Our volunteers are the best . The store is manned daily by these special individuals , who give of their time , talents , and wisdom in helping us achieve our mission . They often reunite families with lost family heirlooms , family bibles , and pictures . People come in the resale store to browse and end up meeting new friends . They sit on the furniture and gather like we did at grandma ’ s kitchen table , sharing what they found in the store like favorite recipes and dishes used by grandma to serve Sunday meatloaf . Memories are all over the store .
Resale stores make a difference , from funding care to bringing people together with a warm smile . Come visit us At The Treehouse Resale Store , 1311 N . Grand Ave . in Gainesville , Texas , benefitting Home Hospice of Grayson , Cooke and Fannin Counties . Smiles are free !
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