New Business Supports Women in Crisis
Article by Jeff Jones | KPC News | May 25, 2021
BUTLER — Hopefully Yours Thrifty Boutique aims to serve a niche market while supporting its nonprofit mission.
The thrift store previously was located south of Butler before opening its new location at 129 S. Broadway on May 15.
Hopefully Yours supports women in recovery, with a Grace House recovery residence located in Butler since August 2020.
“It supports women walking through recovery, just from life issues, addictions and stuff,” explained Hope For Her executive director Michelle Harvey.
Hopefully Yours is part of the Hope for Her women’s program and is registered as a 501©(3)nonprofit entity. It partners with Inspiration Ministries, which operates the Cupbearer Cafe a few doors down the street.
“We’re hoping to get the word out more and more,” Harvey said. “We’re certainly hoping to get a lot more traffic being downtown.
“We want to be part of the community, that there’s an inexpensive place to buy clothes, housewares,” Harvey continued. “We really hope to be that support in the community for people who may not have a high income but can still obtain things they need at low prices.”
The business has two storefronts, with areas devoted to housewares, furniture, baby boutique, and clothing for men and women. There is also room in the back to receive donations.
Business hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Saturday. Donations are accepted during business hours.
Hope For Her Grace House provides a safe place for women to learn to effectively walk in recovery through clinical services, discipleship, skills training and trauma-informed care. Volunteers assist as mentors, in Bible study, life skills and cooking, transportation and celebrate recovery.
A manager and senior residents at the recovery residence work at the store.
“They come in, they’re helping put things out, they can help customers as need be,” Harvey said. “That number can vary as far as employees.
“They come here as some of their programming for vocational skills, just to learn to be back in the workplace, responsibility, organizational skills, all of that,” she added. “This is an opportunity to have that, to have ownership of something, knowing that the profits here go right back into the ministry to support them.”
People needing assistance can visit the store and leave their information for Harvey to contact them, call 570-6089 or email thrift@inspiration-ministries.org.
Harvey said Grace House welcomes donations of shampoo and conditioner, body soap, dish soap, plastic hangars, first aid supplies, bath towels, comforters, twin-sized sheets, dye-free laundry detergent, paper towels, bathroom tissue, plates, journals, notebooks and house slippers.
“We really want to be part of the community and to be a support to them,” she said. “There’s women out there who are just in a tough time of life. We have a recovery program for women, so we want to be a resource for them. We want to be a support to them, to those in the community.
“We talk about the hope of Jesus, the lasting hope that makes change in people’s lives,” she continued. “It’s all part of that ministry of sharing with women and even being able to reach their children and their families. There are resources, there is hope.”
Article source: https://www.kpcnews.com/butlerbulletin/article_30c4f270-feff-582a-8a7a-af4732885f4b.html