Paula Carter, left, Sandi Reed and Marie Garcia are Assistance League of the Foothill Commuities volunteers and were at the recent thrift store re-opening. (Photo by Suzanne Sproul)
Its makeover is complete and now the Assistance League of the Foothill Communities’ revamped thrift storeis open for business.
The Rancho Cucamonga store has been a fundraising mainstay for the service nonprofit. But it needed some updating. This summer, the shop, located next to the San Antonio Regional Hospital Dental Center on Archibald Avenue, closed for several months for renovations.
A long line of shoppers/fans arrived an hour early recently for the grand reopening. The store now is brighter and larger with more of a boutique feel to it. That was by design.
“We made a pie chart of our sales and realized that most of our sales, about 65 percent, comes from women’s ready wear. Our store floor just wasn’t set up for that so we decided to make some changes,” said Kelly Bocanegra, longtime League member.
An old storage room was eliminated to provide more floor space, new flooring was put in, the interior was painted and lighting improved. “It’s now a bright and happy place to shop and we want people to do that. Our goal has always been the same — to make as much money as we can so we can help as many local children as we can,” she said.
And help the group has throughout the years in a variety of ways. One of its bigger projects is Operation School Bell, where more than 1,000 students receive new clothes and school supplies. In fact, Bocanegra said, for every $75 the League raises, that’s enough to dress one child.
Another League project involves Fostering New Beginnings, which supplies basic necessities to young adults leaving the foster care system, according to Laurie Milhiser, another longtime member. “Three hundred dollars helps pay for someone leaving the foster care system to set up a kitchen and bedroom so he or she can start moving ahead with his or her life,” she said.
In addition to helping supply household items, exiting foster care young people can shop at the thrift store.
Clothes are the top items in the store, some from top designers, but there are also housewares, shoes, children’s items and some small furniture. The thrift store has reopened in time for its annual “glitz event” that will feature Christmas decorations and holiday clothes and shoes. That’s set for Nov. 1.
Now that the thrift store has been remodeled and opened, League members will turn their attention to the next big fundraiser — the annual Christmas Tree Brunch. The decades-old tradition is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 4 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Ontario.
The event features beautifully decorated trees and other auction items along with a delightful and delicious brunch. This year’s theme is “Joy.” Tickets are $95 per person before Nov. 11 and $110 after that date. For information, call 909-560-7108.
Proceeds from the brunch, along with the thrift store and other fundraisers, are used to fund several of the League’s community projects including Operation School Bell; San Antonio Regional Hospital Dental Center, where children receive dental care; AL Bears, which provide comfort to those experiencing trauma while also cheering up children at San Antonio Regional Hospital and Kaiser Hospital in Fontana; and Fostering New Beginnings.
The Assistance League of the Foothill Communities Thrift Store is located at 8555 Archibald Ave., Rancho Cucamonga. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call 909-484-7853.
