The Homeless Shelter Thrift Store began in 2005 in the basement of The Daily Grind & Wine and was originally called the ReCellar. It was created to help support the Hulburt-Johnson Friendship House.
By 2012, the ReCellar had outgrown its space, and the organization purchased the building that previously housed MountainView Church on U.S. 64. The name morphed from the ReCellar to the ReSeller.
While the thrift store has always been associated with the Friendship House, in 2021 the store was renamed the Homeless Shelter Thrift Store to better communicate the store’s purpose.
Our vision is to make it a place of prayer even more than a place for profit. In doing so, the Homeless Shelter Thrift Store will be better equipped to help the Friendship House fulfill its mission of offering shelter and support services in a nurturing, safe, and caring environment to homeless families and individuals in Cherokee County and surrounding areas.
In addition to the name change, the Homeless Shelter Thrift Store has made several other changes to align with its purpose of being a Christ-centered ministry, from the music played in the store to new signs inside and out.
To celebrate the new changes, the Homeless Shelter Thrift Store is having a grand reopening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There will be free hot dogs, chips, cupcakes and bottled water.
The store is at 1385 U.S. 64 W. Everyone is welcome to come out and celebrate these changes.
One of the people who helps to make the store a success is Glenda Bryson.
Glenda has worked at the Homeless Shelter Thrift Store for four years, and she is excited about the changes that have been made, from the Christian music played to the reminder to the community that the Homeless Shelter Thrift Store is part of a much-needed ministry.
Glenda is a native of Cherokee County. She has been married to her husband, Ray, for 40 years, and they have two grown children. In her free time, she greatly enjoys her three grandchildren and being a member of Culberson Baptist Church.
When asked what she most enjoys about working at the Thrift Store, she said it is meeting and interacting with the people who come in each day.
She also appreciates that the money the Thrift Store brings in goes directly to help the homeless.
Authored by Michael Herrington, who is on the board of the Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House homeless shelter.