- April 26, 2024
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The new and improved Family Renew store, renovated by Chamber Leadership Class graduates, will be unveiled Thursday.
BY MIKE CAVALIERE | ASSOCIATE EDITOR
A five-person subcommittee of the latest Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class narrowed its annual service project options down to two local nonprofits, and, ultimately, renovating the Family Renew Community Thrift Store, at 32 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., was picked as the group favorite.
“Both (the thrift store and the PACE Program) had similar needs, such as reorganizing and improvements to the facility,” said Tony Capozzi, chamber director. “So we presented the two projects to the entire Leadership Class of 2013 … and let them discuss and vote on which they wanted to take on.
The thrift shop which, open since 1995 helps furnish all of Family Renew’s 32 apartments for homeless families and their children throughout Volusia County, “has never been cleaned or truly organized,” according to Executive Director Claris Mac’Kie.
That’s where the Leadership Class came in.
All of the contents stored in the store's two-story back warehouse, which Mac’Kie calls “absolutely enormous,” were moved into a storage pod outside, and the space was cleaned; the ceiling,
fans and pipes were dusted; the floors were scrubbed; and the walls were repainted.
Then, volunteers reorganized the contents back inside.
“(Ormond Beach) is really kind of home base,” Mac’Kie said. “So we were really honored and kind of surprised that they chose us. …And it was just astounding to me how fast they were doing it, and they didn’t want to stop. … We were just thrilled.”
The group worked from about 8:45 a.m. to after 3 p.m.
The shop is also currently looking for volunteers to work as cashiers, stockers and helpers. They are also in “desperate need” for strong workers to help with furniture pick-ups.
Graduation Day
A graduation ceremony for the Ormond Beach Leadership Class of 2013 will be held 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 U.S. 1. The graduates are listed as follows.
