New Hope Counseling Center will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Community Closet thrift store with a customer appreciation event on Wednesday, May 22. During the thrift store's operating hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., patrons may enjoy cupcakes and enter a series of prize drawings, which will include various items from local businesses and a gift card to the Community Closet, which is located at 128 Townsedge Drive, Quarryville.

"We wouldn't be here without the shoppers," said Faith Aukamp, manager of the Community Closet. "We are so blessed here in Quarryville with the kindness and the goodness of the community."

Aukamp said the Community Closet is supported by multiple regulars who frequently participate in its regular sales and special events. Every Wednesday, the store offers a 50% discount on select items to shoppers who are 50 years and older. Aukamp also rotates through a variety of frequent special offers on a weekly basis, such as 20% off all books or household goods.

All proceeds from the Community Closet's sales benefit New Hope Counseling Center's programs aimed at providing accessible, Christ-centered mental health services for the Southern End community. Since the counseling center first began accepting clients in 1998, its board of directors wished to keep all of its programs accessible to anyone in the community by never turning away clients who are unable to pay the standard rate. The thrift store was opened a few years later to establish a steady income, which New Hope uses to financially assist clients in need.

"The Community Closet thrift store remains a vital arm of the New Hope Community Life Ministry," said Deb Riddell, the ministry's executive director. "We are thankful for the support from the community that we've received for the past 20 years, and we look forward to the next season of the Community Closet."

Approximately 70% of New Hope's clients receive a form of financial assistance to help pay for counseling sessions. In 2022, the organization introduced a program to offer counseling services at Solanco High School. The goal of the program is to maintain a safe space for students to be heard, to receive help with regulating emotions and to increase their emotional intelligence.

"All our money goes toward helping mental health, which has come to the forefront these past few years. Insurance doesn't often cover mental health services, and it's something in people's day-to-day life that goes on the back burner," Aukamp said. "The community has been outstanding these last 20 years. We have some of the best donors around, and they've helped us help a lot of people."

For more information, search for "New Hope Community Closet" on Facebook.