Hillsdale Community Thrift has grown into more than a place to buy cast-off clothes, shoes, and furniture.

“Many people that we have contact with don’t have a support system, and they just need someone to say, ‘I care about you,’” said Michelle Hebert, community outreach coordinator at Hillsdale Community Thrift. “That’s what we do at the thrift store.” 

In addition to being a popular local store among college students, Hebert said the thrift store acts as a support system to homeless people who find a residence.

“When they get their place, they can come to us with a voucher and we will give them their basic essentials,” Hebert said. “So they might get a couch, table, and lamp.”

Hebert said they have also donated furniture to veterans.

“We have actually morphed into becoming like an agency,” she said. “So many people come to us with all kinds of problems.”

Hillsdale Thrift helps homeless people get their birth certificate, social security card, and driver’s license, upon the condition of a clean drug test.

“Most of the time when you’re homeless, you lose all your paperwork,” Hebert said. “You’re moving from place to place, and you’re limited on things you carry.”

After a donation of clothes arrives, Hebert said the clothes are sorted through to see what can be sold at the store. Clothes in poor condition are donated to be repurposed. 

“Synthetic materials take more than 200 years to break down,” she said. “We started recycling a couple years ago. Most of the product stays within the United States. And a lot of people think, ‘Oh, it just goes overseas.’ Not the company that we deal with.” 

Hebert said the donated clothes are turned into rags, padding for car seats, and fibers that can be turned into thread. Hillsdale residents can donate any and all clothes, no matter the condition. 

But community thrifting reaches college students too. Many Hillsdale College students enjoy thrifting because it brings a unique wardrobe for a small price. Junior Rachel Houts said about 90% of her clothes are thrifted, and she has found many wardrobe staples at Hillsdale thrift stores. 

“There are many items I’ve dug out of the Hillsdale thrift store that I adore, but my favorite has to be this massive black coat I thrifted my freshman year here,” Houts said. “It’s enormous, incredibly warm, adds a little dramatic flair to my day, and costs me all of $6.” 

Hebert said many people are starting to thrift because it is a smart option. 

“We’re repurposing items,” Hebert said. “I see lots of great things that come through here that are reusable. And I think we are becoming a society of learning to reuse things, either for financial reasons or just because it’s fun.”

When senior Emilie Moneyhon came to Hillsdale, she was hoping to find a place that sold affordable clothes since she has been thrifting her whole life. She said most of her clothes are from garage sales. 

“I found this really cool, blue winter coat that I’ve used all four years at Hillsdale that I bought as a prospective student from Hillsdale Community Thrift,” she said. 

Moneyhon said her love of thrifting was instilled in her by her mom’s love of antiques. 

“Thrifting is a cheap option and a way to avoid fast fashion,” Moneyhon said. “You also find more unique clothing that makes you stand out in a crowd.”

Moneysaid said she owns many “grandma sweaters” that she has bought at the local thrift store, as well as two vintage swimsuits. 

The mission of Hillsdale Community Thrift is a great reason to shop there, Moneyhon said. 

Houts said she thinks it is smart for college students to start thrifting. 

“Obviously the reduced prices are a huge pull, and often mean that what you’re getting is of much better quality than Walmart or Amazon can offer for the same prices,” she said. “But thrifting also combats environmental concerns, which are becoming more and more important.”