Humbling Growth
Rebecca Pardue raises $9,000 for local food pantries with sales at Humble Impressions thrift shop
By Nicole Davis
In six months, Rebecca Pardue has raised $9,000 for local food pantries. Donations have poured into her Perry Township thrift store, Humble Impressions, since she opened on June 19, 2012. With an overwhelming response, Pardue will soon expand the shop for the third time since it opened.
“I had that vision, when I first started out,” Pardue said. “But I didn’t know how big it was getting. He’s got plans. God is in control.”
Pardue said she has received so many donations that she has lowered her prices and has begun testing different deals to see how they work. For the month of January, all clothing items are 99¢. The thrift store, located at 8236 S. Madison Ave., will soon expand to adjoining rooms and Pardue is even planning on adding a food pantry inside the shop.
“I think the sign out front that says it’s going to the food pantries brings a lot of people into us,” said Carol Kelley, who has volunteered for Humble Impressions for four months now. She has also volunteered for Servant’s Heart in Beech Grove for 10 years. “Rebecca appreciates everything each one of her volunteers does. She just thanks every person for coming and supporting the cause.”
Pardue said knowing that it’s helping each other out as a community and all that the profits go back into the community has been what has made her vision such a success in a short amount of time.
“I started coming shopping first because I like bargains,” said Cris Kunkel, a newer volunteer for Humble Impressions. “I like being with the people and just getting out. I like the companionship. I just like the fact that you can come, talk about God, listen to other people’s problems and realize yours aren’t as big as you though they were.”
Pardue said she could still use more volunteers and donations are always welcome. She is working on getting the necessary licensing to officially become a nonprofit.
“Every day, there are new people coming in,” Pardue said. “The volunteers are slim, but they are here when we need them. Everyone’s coming in the community to help one another. It’s just awesome.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
