ReNew Resale, is not your typical secondhand store: It offers second chances to families struggling with mental illness.
The store opened in July of 2016 and all of its profits are donated to Meier Clinics for mental health care.
“They do counseling and psychiatric care on a sliding fee basis depending on your income,” Carol Whites explained.
Whites is the owner of the store and her dedication to mental health comes from a very personal place.
“My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia; schizoaffective disorder,” she said. “He was about 18 and we went around and tried to figure out what would help him.”
Whites said it was frustrating for her family and made life difficult.
“There was really nothing out there to help us pay for it. It costs a fortune," she said. "So many people are still going through that and it will always be that way until someone does something about it.”
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That’s why she opened the store. All the items in the store are donated and after paying insurance, utilities and rent she gives 100 percent of their profit to the Christian mental health organization.
“That would be available for mental health care for someone who didn’t have money,” she said. “[If they] would call and didn’t have any money to pay for it.”
She is surrounded by family and friends to help her make the shop run smoothly.
“She works 60, 80, 90 hours a week for maybe a dollar an hour,” Whites chuckled when describing the hard work of Dana Phillips.
Phillips’ dedication to the store is also based in mental health heartache.
“My sister, 12 years ago, ended her life," she said. "If I can keep one family from going through what I went through, the pain that we felt and everybody that it affected, it’s worth it to me."
Whites made her first donation to Meirer Clincs in November and it was matched and doubled.
“It was important that we reach deep and give as much as we can in November, so it would be a matching amount,” she said. “Instead of $1,000 it would be a $2,000 donation.”
Whites hopes this is just the beginning of what she can do to help.
“A city council member said to me, ‘I hope you make $1 million.’ And I said ‘I hope I do too and I want to give every dime of it away,’” she laughed. “I may not make a difference to a lot of people, but I might make a difference to one or two.”
The store is located at 6700 Main Street in The Colony. They can be reached at 214-367-0781.
