Menifee Community Thrift Shop has something for everyone

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Shoppers who visit the Menifee Valley Community Cupboard Thrift Shop can find great deals at low prices. More than that, they help fund the Community Cupboard itself.

The Thrift Shop, located at 26944 Cherry Hills Blvd. in the Sun City community, offers a wide variety of clothing, household items, artwork, jewelry and more for prices as low as $1 and below. All proceeds go to help support the Community Cupboard, which provides food to low-income families and senior citizens in the area.

“We haven’t raised our prices in years,” said Dawn Smith, executive director, standing next to a sign showing prices for children’s wear ranging from 25 cents for socks to $1.50 for boots. “There’s probably a point where, because of rising costs, we should, but we don’t.

“We also give vouchers if clients come to us and can’t afford $3 for a shirt or blouse, because they should probably be on our food program if they aren’t already.”

All items are donated by local residents and are carefully sorted and displayed by volunteers. In addition to the bargain-price items, some more valuable items bring collectors from around the Southland.

“For things like designer labels, we look it up online and take a fraction of that,” Smith said. “We try to make sure we’re getting fair market value on some of the things that are higher in value.”

One corner of the shop is dedicated to “Eve’s Closet”, a tribute to Eve Hoover, founding president of the Community Cupboard. Items for sale include wedding dresses, prom dresses and collectible jewelry.

“We’re trying to be everything to everybody all at one time,” Smith said. “We serve both the thrift shopper and the person who really needs a bargain. We get gently used clothing, things people have outgrown. And here you can get a wedding dress that costs anywhere from $25 to $100 instead of $1,200.”

Most of the shoppers are from the Sun City retirement community, but Smith said there is also a regular clientele of young shoppers looking for bargain prices and a variety of clothing options.

“We also get people that have decided we’re on their route," she said. "They go out thrift shopping and have their own little routine. We have people who come up from San Diego, LA. Sometimes they are people who want to buy it and take it somewhere else to sell it for more.”

Smith admits that collectors can buy items in her store at bargain prices and sell them for perhaps three times as much in downtown Los Angeles. Her primary concern is serving the local community at prices they can afford.

“We do have some younger regulars, and we’d really like to reach some of the teens who don’t know we’re over here. A lot of them who have been coming here with their parents now start looking here," Smith said.

If shoppers post on social media that they are shopping at the store, they receive a 10 percent discount.

The store is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Volunteers are needed to help staff the shop. Interested persons should stop by the store in the Cherry Hills Plaza.