Fort Moore nonprofit thrift store opens larger location to help community

FORT MOORE, Ga. ( WRBL ) — In an effort to “Be Moore” for the community, an on-post thrift store closed its doors for nearly a month. On the morning of July 30, it reopened in a new location.

The nonprofit Fort Moore Thrift Store, run by the Fort Moore Spouses Club, is an important part of the way the club gives back.

“Our store is a volunteer driven 501c3, and so all of our proceeds from our thrift store go back into our community—our military community and our Columbus community,” Fort Moore Spouses Club President Jacylann Nix said.

The money is distributed by way of scholarships and grants. According to Nix, last year the Spouses Club was able to give back $180,000 to 80 community members for continuing education, as well as 26 other organizations.

When the old thrift store location started feeling cramped, members of the Spouses Club knew they needed additional space to “Be Moore” for the community.

“Our old building was 3,000-square [feet] and we were just crammed in there,” Nix said. “To be able to move to a building that’s over 11,000-square [feet] and just expand for our customers and employ more people, it has been truly amazing.”

A bigger store means the store can keep and sell more inventory, as well as provide more opportunities for employment in positions with pay starting at $14 an hour.

The 9:30 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Kilgore Street location was attended by Fort Moore’s Deputy Garrison Commander Brandon Cockrell.

Tori Evans, wife of Fort Moore Garrison Commander Col. J.D. Evans, was also there in one of her first event appearances on post since her husband took on his role as garrison commander in a ceremony on July 19.

Members of the Spouses Club and their families were some of the first shoppers in the new store, which has sections dedicated to second-hand clothes, home décor, workout equipment, kitchen appliances and more.

Store hours in the new location remain the same. The thrift store will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, as well as from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on one Saturday each month.

The next open Saturday date is Aug. 3, according to a post on the Fort Moore Spouses Club Facebook page .

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