By Eric J. Weilbacher
The Herald-Zeitung
Published April 22, 2010

About a year ago, Communities In Schools was looking for a way to create another source of revenue to fund its mentoring and social services programs in area schools.

What it came up with was a resale shop to sell donated items at a discount and use the proceeds to go right back into the work it does.

“Being a nonprofit, we are 100 percent dependent on donations and contracts with school districts,” said Chris Douglas, executive director of CIS of South Central Texas based in New Braunfels. “We talked about becoming more financially secure as an organization … our goal is that all the profit will go directly into CIS programming.”

The doors have been open at the location between the new Little Caesars Pizzeria and D-Pad since March 30, and have already received more than 150 donations and numerous volunteers to run the discount shop. On May 8 they plan to host an official grand opening, with music, a DJ, prize giveaways, and informational booths about CIS, among other things.

The $2-3 shirts and pants, $1 children’s clothes and children’s books for 50 cents provide affordable necessities for those on tight budgets, or for those who are just resale store addicts, as store manager Kat Alford puts it.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better spot,” Alford said. “Moms are volunteering while their kids are in school, National Junior Honors Society students are doing merit projects here by volunteering. A variety of people come here to shop and volunteer.”

she said.

They are not just selling used items at Community Resale, however. Just as they were opening, a bank donated the remaining inventory of a shoe store that shut down, Alford said, and now they are selling new shoes that retailed for $130 for $30.

“We have future plans for CIS kids to volunteer, do fashion shows,” Douglas said. A “Dress For Success” program might be set up as well in the near future with a partnering organization, such as the Crisis Center of Comal County, Douglas said.

“They need to feel good about themselves before they go into the workforce,” she said.

It took a lot of hard work from contractors that either donated or discounted materials and their own time, such as Jeff Beyer of Beyer Mechanical, Rodney Skolaut and River City Builders, Douglas said.

Alford combines the idea of helping the less fortunate with a green ethos.

Much of the clothing that does not move off the shelves when new donations arrive is shipped to the thrift store in Sattler run by the Community Resource and Recreation Center.

“They sell items by the pound, so we’re not throwing away stuff,” Alford said.

“It’s a very exciting venture,” Douglas said. “Donating, volunteering and shopping.”

Community Resale

Where: 1024B San Antonio St., New Braunfels

When: open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, grand opening Saturday May 8

To volunteer: Call Amanda Gonzales, (830) 387-4453 or to donate

On the Web: www.cissouthcentraltexas.org