KENNEWICK, Wash.- A new thrift shop with a cause has arrived in the Tri-Cities. Foster Thrift will be selling donated items to help foster kids and families. They opened their doors at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Foster thrift was founded by the Foster First agency based in Yakima. They’re a non-profit organization helping children in foster care ages 0-17. During the pandemic, they saw a big decline in donations and help. Their agency was unable to make budget to keep up with their foster kids and families needs, thus came the idea of the thrift shop.
All funding collected will be donated directly to the foster kids. The Director of Community Engagement, Venus Lomeli, says she’s excited to be able to give more to the families.
“This is going to help out our kiddos, and we were naming off kids’ names and we were like so and so wants to do this when it comes down to prom, or how great would it be if in the summer we say “hey, this time this park we’re gonna have a picnic” and we can provide the food to do that. As a non-profit, that’s something that we simply can’t do right now, but just knowing the revenue that’s going to come in and how it’s going to support our families is just huge,” she explained.
Lomeli says they are always accepting donations and are still looking to receive home goods, plates, hardware and adult men and women’s clothing for the store.
She also says she understands not everyone can be a foster parent but with this thrift shop, everyone can donate by shopping with them.
They’re located at 810 S. Dayton St. in Kennewick and will be open starting today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
