Virgin Valley Thrift Store Opens Gala Christmas Boutique

By KRISTI TAUSINGA

The Progress

It’s a season of giving and a season of transformation and the Virgin Valley Thrift Store, located at 115 S. 1st Street encompasses both of those things.

The Thrift Store is currently offering a Gala Christmas Boutique like no other. The “brainchild” of Gladys Smith, 87, with the help of many volunteers, the boutique features festive donations of Christmas items from the community that the Thrift Store staff has been collecting all year long
Gladys has carved out a large display space inside of the thrift store and has created this Christmas Boutique.

“In the years past, Gladys would just put the Christmas stuff outside of the store each day,” explained Virgin Valley Family Services Director Leslee Montgomery. “Then she’d have to haul it all back inside each night.”

But with all the donations that the store has received this year, Gladys thought it would be “magical” to turn part of the store into a Christmas boutique, Montgomery said. And it turns out that this little taste of Christmas is right in the middle of the store.

There is a beautiful Christmas tree in the middle of it all. And tables surround the tree with all kinds of Christmas items for sale. These include stockings, Christmas tree skirts, decorations, tree ornaments, yard ornaments, kitchen decorations and much more.

On the boutique’s opening day; Monday, November 29; Gladys was as busy as one of Santa’s helpers.
“I love this community!” Gladys said. “There is so much generosity here. There have been so many wonderful items donated over the past year to make this boutique a wonderful success.”

Gladys explained that 100% of the proceeds from the thrift store go to Virgin Valley Community Food Bank to purchase food for needy families in the community.
“No one is ever turned away,” Gladys said. “And God is very good to us!”

Because of the generosity of community giving, and the sales at the Thrift Store, the food bank has never had to use government grants or get other public funding to do its work, Gladys said.

The Thrift Store is continuing to take donations on a daily basis, Gladys said.
“As people begin to decorate for this year’s holiday, if they have items they no longer use, they can bring them to the thrift store and donate them,” Gladys added.

In the process of Monday’s interview with The Progress, Gladys agreed to slow down for just a minute to get her picture taken at the center of her boutique. She had a smile that lit up the store!

The Gala Christmas Boutique will be open for holiday shoppers between now and December 18. At that point the store will be closed for the holidays. It wil reopen on January 2, 2022.
The thrift store hours are Monday – Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.

The Thrift Store is located on the south-facing side of the Mesquite Plaza shopping center.