FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. (June 25, 2023) – More than just a thrift store, the Halifax Health Hospice ReSale Shop is providing valuable dollars for families in need, at one of the most challenging times of life.
Friends and business colleagues were happy to attend the Palm Coast location’s grand reopening on Tuesday morning, hosted in conjunction with the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Halifax Health Hospice and Palliative Care executive director Janet Miller shared her appreciation for the store’s staff and volunteers who have stepped up to ensure the store can be open five days a week to serve customers and donors, while generating critical dollars to help those less fortunate.
“Hospice for most families is the last stage of a person’s life. In our philosophy, ‘we only get to do it right once’, so we put extreme effort into the preparation of staff, the selection of our staff, the core values of the organization, to make sure we provide exceptional care, every day, every encounter for every patient that we see,” said Miller.
“As a nonprofit in this community for over 42 years, we are dependent on donations, on fundraising for our own 501c3, to support the amount of unfunded care that we provide in the communities. Any patient can be referred to Halifax without insurance and they will be taken care of. The proceeds from out resale shop come right to supporting that unfunded care. On average we provide close to $4 million of unfunded care every year,” she said.
Eric Whitwam, operations manager for Halifax Health Hospice, worked closely with team leader Gina Leon to reopen the store.
“I decided to come here because it’s hospice, to pay it back, to pay it forward,” said Leon, on the job for just three months.
Accepting donations Monday through Friday from 10 am to 3 pm, often receiving new inventory daily, Leon said it’s satisfying to provide quality goods for customers, especially knowing how the proceeds are spent.
“I enjoy it, customers love it, and it just makes you feel good. We’re here and I’m here to help everybody in the community,” she said.
Hoping to bring on another paid team member and several more volunteers, Leon said it will allow the store to be open an additional day.
“I have applications, you can come fill out an application and we’ll get it going, and you can volunteer. We are also in need of another paid employee,” she said. “Volunteers, once they are brought in, they can set their own hours. I have great volunteers right now.”
Located in the Flagler Plaza just steps from the Winn-Dixie on State Road 100, neighboring business Premier Chiropractic co-owner Dr. Erika Equizi and her sons came out to support the reopening.
“Supporting businesses like this is great because you get introduced to people you don’t usually encounter. It’s a different business than mine so I get to meet new people, and we can work to build our community up stronger and have more businesses together,” she said.
The high traffic shopping plaza has been a great move for her business, and she’s happy to help other businesses gain exposure.
“This business definitely benefits the shopping center because donations will be coming in, and so more people will be able to drive through the plaza and see all the other businesses that are in here,” said Equizi. “There are a couple of new businesses here and it will bring more people to their store because they can see they’re open.”
The Halifax Hospital Hospice ReSale Shop is located at 126 Flagler Plaza Drive, Palm Coast, Florida. Learn more at https://halifaxhealth.org/services/continuing-care/hospice-care
