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HELPING: Full Circle helps the needy and saves for the future
If Culpeper ever builds its community center, odds are some of the money will be coming from Full Circle Thrift Shop.That's because since opening in 2002, Full Circle has stored about $100,000 of its proceeds in a special fund for that purpose.
Not bad for bargain shopping.
"Our slogan is 'Culpeper helping Culpeper'," said John Bossong, who serves as Chair for Full Circle's board of directors. "We sell a little bit of everything. And not a dime goes out of Culpeper."
Walk through the store during hours, and you'll find just about anything. Downstairs features a wide range of furniture and appliances such as TV, VCRs and phones. Upstairs are one finds rows of clothes (another big seller), along with dishes, books and toys.
"This floor is very crowded," Corporate Administrator Pam Lohr said. "But it's the best we can do right now, and you'd be surprised how much we can fit in here. Somehow, it fits."
It all sells, however. And it sells big.
Books at Full Circle sell for 40 cents. Funny thing is, they sold $5,000 worth, said Bossong. That's close to 10,000 books a year.
Full Circle first started years ago as a possible partnership with the Salvation Army. But some felt that a thrift shop should have all of its proceeds remaining in Culpeper.
So a group took a five-year loan from the local Department of Social Services, starting a partnership between Full Circle and the DSS that continues to this day. Ten people donated $1,000 each, and became the founding members.
Things quickly grew from there. In 2002, Full Circle recorded $111,000 in sales. Last year that number was $260,000. Now they're on course to do $275,000 this year.
Every day the store features a sale. For instance, Thursdays are 50 percent off all toys, Saturdays are half off on all clothes, shows and purses. That variety helps the cultivate a dedicated client base, say organizers. Some customers even show several times during the week. A customer appreciation barbecue held in July drew more than 700 people last year.
"There's such a variety, our clients are from all walks of life," Lohr said. "So many of our donors come in here, and then they end up carrying more out. They just come in and buy."
Full Circle's charity isn't limited to the donations it makes. For every organization it helps fund, there's another its helps through a creative partnership.
Welfare recipients on the verge of leaving the program are sent to Full Circle for employment and a job reference. Wheelchairs and crutches are sent to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars, which uses them where there's a need.
Full Circle has another arrangement with SAFE, the local shelter for abused families. SAFE will give all of the donations that don't meet its immediate needs to Full Circle. In exchange, the thrift shop gives SAFE vouchers for families to shop there.
"There's a lot of things they get that serve no purpose to them," Lohr said. "You've got women in the shelter who might get a frying pan, but they need something else."
Unusable clothing and items that would otherwise go to a landfill are handled by the local Environmental Services department.
"We're keeping things kind of going full circle," Lohr said. "Our name has become more and more appropriate for what we do."
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