RBB Family Thrift Store Board President Shirley Willingham has announced her resignation from the board of directors effective immediately.
“I have not been able to keep the store up as I had planned, nor do I have the energy to continue,” Willingham said. “I am turning management over to the board in hopes they can succeed where I have failed.”
The RBB Family Thrift Store has been open since about 1976, when several area churches banded together to help families by selling affordable clothes and household items. It became a volunteer-run nonprofit in 1978.
Funds raised by the store have contributed to other area organizations, such as Ellettsville Boys & Girls Club, the Ellettsville fireworks, the Richland-Bean Blossom school system, Community Kitchen, the Monroe County Fall Festival, Hannah House and more.
It also supports two missions: one in Kentucky and another in Tennessee.
To continue its work, Willingham said the store is in need of volunteers.
Twelve volunteers do all the work to run the store three days a week. The Tri Kappa sorority opens and runs the store on the first Saturday of the month.
“Four of the volunteers are between 85 and 90 (years old),” Willingham said. “They’re all getting old, and there’s getting to be some health problems. And they need help.”
Volunteers sort and clean items, hang up clothes, put items on the shelves, operate the cash register and perform a variety of other store duties.
“They just need some younger people,” Willingham said. “Even if they could work two hours a week, that would be a big help.”
Under ideal conditions, 20 or more volunteers would run the store.
RBB Family Thrift Store is located at 123 N. Sale St. Its hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on first Saturdays.
Originally published in Ellettsville Journal, 2016. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.