Shop for a Cause

Thrift Harbor offers quality merchandise at an economical price, with 100 percent of profits benefitting Hope Harbor Children’s Home and Family Ministries.

Since they opened their doors at 405 W. Will Rogers Blvd. in March of this year, Thrift Harbor has continued to grow each month. “Although we recently signed a lease for another year in this building, we may have to find a bigger place in the future,” says Shane McClaugherty, who oversees the daily operations of the nonprofit store.

According to McClaugherty, 100 percent of the proceeds from Thrift Harbor go to support Hope Harbor Children’s Home & Academy and Family Ministries. Since 1947, Hope Harbor has provided services to improve the lives of children from infancy through young adulthood. The most intensive part of Hope Harbor’s services, the Children’s Home, is a licensed residential care setting designed to meet the needs of at-risk teens whose lives are heading in the wrong direction. The home, located north of Claremore, has separate cottages for boys and girls with full-time house parent couples. An on-site school is also provided.

Hope Harbor offers a full range of services, both on ­campus and off, through counseling in the community. “We offer low-cost child and family-centered counseling to anyone in the ­community,” says McClaugherty. Counseling is available at the Blue Starr Church of Christ Family Life Center and is part of Hope Harbor’s family ministries outreach. For an appointment, call the licensed counselor’s office at (918) 341-4425.

Hope Harbor also provides parent-training workshops tailored to meet the needs of those attending. Presenters walk step-by-step through core principles of parenting in these seminars designed for parents, caregivers, and anyone working to make a difference in the lives of children. Problems are described in a way that makes finding a solution possible. Participants leave with new understandings, new skills, and a new hope.

In addition to being licensed to provide residential care through the Children’s Home, Hope Harbor is also licensed as a Child Placing Agency. This allows the organization to establish and oversee foster homes for residents who are unable to return home after they complete the Character Growth program at the Children’s Home.  

“We opened Thrift Harbor last spring to support Hope Harbor and serve the community with quality items at an economical price,” McClaugherty adds. “It helps everyone during hard economic times to be able to shop here at our thrift store.”

The store’s everyday low prices of $1 for quality clothing for adults and children draws people in the door to shop for their families. “We charge $3 for outerwear like coats and $2 per pair of shoes,” he adds.

Knick-knacks, books, furniture and collectibles range in price from ten cents to $15. “We try to keep everything in the store low cost,” says McClaugherty. “We are also adding Christmas items each day.”

New clothes are put out ­daily, according to McClaugherty. To make a clothing donation or to donate other items, you can drop them off at the store, ­located west of Ann’s Cleaners, or at the Blue Starr Church of Christ, where you will find a donation bin.

The store’s website will ­eventually have a link to its online eBay site where rare items and collectibles donated to Thrift Harbor can be auctioned off to the highest bidder. “Right now, we’ve been playing catch-up since our business has exploded,” he adds. “We hope to have our eBay auction account going by February 2012. You can check out our website to stay updated.”

For more information, contact

Thrift Harbor

405 W. Will Rogers Blvd.
Claremore, OK 74017

(918) 855-1389

www.thriftharbor.com