AUBURNDALE, Fla. — A new thrift store in Polk County is helping domestic violence survivors get back on their feet.
When you walk into New Purpose Thrift Store in downtown Auburndale, you’ll find the usual items like clothes, toys and furniture.
“We get a lot of donations for furniture. Someone just actually came and picked up a Pack N Play for a baby. So, a lot of baby items, beds,” said Tanika Poole, founder of New Purpose Thrift Store.
What’s unique about this thrift store is who it benefits. Eighty percent of the proceeds from New Purpose Thrift Store go to providing domestic violence survivors with food, counseling, housing and other resources.
“We're doing it for a good cause. Everything that we make, a portion of it goes back to house our emergency and transitional housing for domestic violence victims,” said Poole.
As a survivor of abuse, Poole knows how difficult finding resources can be.
“I was in a pretty bad domestic violence marriage and I actually packed a suitcase with whatever I could fit in it with four kids, ages nine to two weeks and came to Florida. When I got here, there weren’t a lot of resources to get on my feet,” Poole said.
Poole is hosting a community giveaway on Jan. 30. where people in need can shop for free. She says she wants to be the beacon of hope for other women getting out of abusive situations.
“This is not something that just came around. This has been around since the beginning of time. The only problem is, it’s been swept under a rug and not addressed. If we raise awareness and educate people on it, we can break the silence of the abuse and continue to help people,” Poole said.
