ATHENS, Ohio — For five decades, New to You thrift store has offered affordable resale goods and supported local foster youth in need.
On Saturday, May 9, the store will mark 50 years in business with an in-store celebration, inviting the public through its doors to spend time shopping and enjoy treats, raffles, and other activities.
“We just want the community to come celebrate with us,” board member Terry Beitzel told the Independent. “We’re thankful for their support all these years.”
New to You opened in 1976 as a consignment storefront on Court Street. Over the years, it moved locations: first to East State Street, then eventually to its current home at 90 Columbus Rd., in a building once occupied by a Sears department store. But while its location has changed, its ownership and mission have remained constant over time.
“[New to You] was started by the foster parent association, and it’s still owned and operated by us,” board member Terry Beitzel told the Independent. “All of our proceeds go to the foster children.”
Every member of New to You’s seven-person board is a licensed foster parent. The shop employs a staff of about 11 people, some full-time. The store relies on volunteers. Some come through community service programs, including court-ordered service or work requirements tied to public assistance. Others are referred to the store via rehabilitation programs, including workers who are recovering from injuries and easing back into employment.
“We work with the courts, Job and Family Services, even worker rehabilitation programs,” Beitzel said. “A lot of people start out with us.”
As online marketplaces have shifted the resale economy, New to You has tried to serve the community by remaining affordable. The store’s most popular inventory is clothing, small appliances, and furniture, Beitzel said.
“That’s part of our mission,” she said. “We try to keep prices as low as we possibly can while still making a profit — because that profit goes back to the kids.”
New to You accepts donations, but items must be clean, functional and in good condition. Upholstered goods are treated with a state-required sanitizing spray before they can be sold, part of regular compliance checks that ensure safety standards are met.
“We survive through donations and patronage,” she said. “It’s really teamwork.”
Foster youth throughout Athens County benefit from the store’s profits. New to You provides them with school clothes, birthday money, musical instruments, prom dresses, college scholarships, and other resources. For older teens aging out of the foster system, the support can be especially important.
“We help them set up their apartments — furniture, bedding, whatever they need,” Beitzel said. “We try to make sure they have a good start.”
For foster children who may struggle in public settings due to trauma or behavioral challenges, New to You’s mission includes providing them with events and care tailored to their needs, which they may not receive otherwise.
“We try to do a Christmas party or provide money for gifts, and a summer outing like a picnic or renting a pool,” she said. “It gives them a chance to just have fun without people judging them.”
Fifty years in, New to You’s mission thrives as a result of local participation, through what people donate for resale and what they buy as shoppers.
“Our whole purpose is to assist foster families and help the kids,” Beitzel said. “That’s what it’s always been about.”
The shop is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Staff ask that donations be dropped off during business hours to ensure items can be properly received.
Saturday’s event will be during store hours and include food and giveaways, like raffle baskets. Shoppers will receive tickets with purchases and can enter to win items. Later in the month there will be additional drawings, including a raffle for a new Coach purse, with tickets priced at $1 each or six for $5. Winners will be announced live on the store’s Facebook page.
To mark the milestone, an anniversary banner above the store’s entrance and inside, commemorative booklets detailing the store’s history and impact is available to browse.
