JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Did you clean out the kids’ closets to make way for new school clothes? Did you finally give up that tea cup set your aunt gave you decades ago?
If you dropped those items off at an area thrift store, you can get a tax write-off for donating! Or maybe it’s enough just knowing another person will benefit from your donation.
When you donate at the Angelwood Thrift Store on Jacksonville’s Southside, your gift helps threefold.
Angelwood is a local nonprofit serving children, adults, seniors, and families living with intellectual and developmental differences. The organization’s thrift store on Bowden Road is just one benefit for its clients, and for the community.
When we stopped by the thrift store, we met Michelle Mollenhour, Ryan Flamm, and Tyler Anderson. Michelle and Ryan have been involved with Angelwood for at least a decade, and Tyler started with the group as a child in its summer camp.
The 3 let us tag along, as they hung up clothing for resale.
Tyler was very excited to have a News4JAX crew there this day, which also happened to be his birthday.
“I love it,” Tyler said when asked what he thought about the thrift store. “‘Cause hopefully one day I can get a job here.”
Angelwood’s CEO, Diane Tuttle, explained that not only does the money collected at the thrift store help the Angelwood organization serve its clients, but it’s also a place where people and other community groups come to volunteer.
“We have a group of women from the pilot club who come once a month. We have individuals who come, and we have church groups. We’ve had (The Church of ) Eleven-22 and Legacy House,” Tuttle says as she rattles off groups that come to mind. “It’s been a real blessing for us to have these people come in and really give us a boost of sorting and putting things out, and even designing things in ways we wouldn’t even think to do it.”
And if you’re into thrifting, there’s no way you’re into it more than Daniela Acosta.
She owns the new Tiki Java Jax coffee shop next door to the Angelwood Thrift Store, which is where almost ALL of her cafe’s furniture has come from.
Acosta points to the centerpiece of her cafe’s lounge area, telling us how many people have tried to buy it from her to no avail.
“It’s been rocky from the start,” Acosta shares when we asked about the past year since she opened shop.
“We’re in a neighborhood central location so we’re trying to attract all the customers from nearby.”
She says she’s always working to save money.
“I have been blessed to have Angelwood next (door) to me,” Acosta says with a smile.
“And I buy everything I can when I can from there.”
Check out Angelwood’s website to learn more about the organization’s services and its thrift store.
For more information about Daniela Acosta’s Tiki Java Jax coffee shop, you’ll find more info on Instagram.