Names of Note: Turlock thrift shop hits $1 million in donations. It aids many causes
Off Center Thrift & Gift in Turlock has topped $1 million in donations to the many groups it supports.
The shop at 410 East Olive St. reached the milestone in May, founding board member Sylvia Cox said. The proceeds from the sale of gently used items go to health, education, arts and other causes in Stanislaus and Merced counties.
Off Center opened in 2006 in response to the closure of a thrift shop that had supported Emanuel Medical Center since 1964. It sells clothing, housewares, books, music, jewelry, small home furnishings and other items.
The name reflects the shop’s location off Center Street in downtown Turlock. The donation total is on a chalkboard above the cash register and stood at $1,007,020 when The Modesto Bee visited Thursday, June 24.
The shop has about 90 volunteers, who sort donated items and stock the shelves and racks. A committee meets each April and November to decide which groups to fund. They must have nonprofit status.
A sampling of recent grantees on that same chalkboard: Salvation Army, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Howard Training Center, Denair Gaslight Theatre, Stanislaus State nursing program and Hilmar Volunteer Fire Department. A youth swim team in Patterson got a grant. So did a kids’ bicycle club in Modesto’s airport district.
Off Center remains on a pandemic schedule for now: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Used items can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Friday. Details on what is accepted, and how to apply for a grant, are at www.offcenterthrift.org.
Hospitals collect cereal for food bank
Three hospitals collected 44,080 servings of cereal for the Second Harvest of the Greater Valley food bank.
The annual drive involved Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock and Doctors Hospital of Manteca. All are part of Tenet Healthcare.
Supporters dropped off boxes and bags at the hospitals during the Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive, from June 7 to 14. Another $3,212 in cash donations will buy perishable breakfast items such as milk, fruit, vegetables and lean protein.
The Manteca-based food bank serves San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced and adjacent mountain counties.
“We understand the health issues children face from hunger and poor nutrition,” said Warren Kirk, CEO of Doctors Medical Center, in a news release. “This past year has been particularly devastating for families struggling with hunger.”
