XENIA — There’s a new thrift store and boutique in town. Offering Second Chances will have its grand opening on Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The stand-alone boutique, 65 Dayton Avenue, is housed in a former insurance building near Alan Besco Car Sales.
The thrift store, operated by Jeremiah and Carolyn Byrd, will be used to help generate funds for their outreach work.
“We had the vision to do the thrift store to help generate funds for the ministry, help those in need, and offer temporary jobs to our ladies coming into Omega House as well as sharing the gospel with our customers,” said Carolyn Byrd. “We are a non-profit 501c3 organization designed to rescue and restore victims of human trafficking and drug addiction, which often go hand-in-hand.”
Byrd also founded SOS Ministry: Mission Field the Streets of America.
“We now have a safe house called the Alpha Program where we can bring the women straight from the streets or their captors. We also have a second house for women called the Omega Program, which is international housing for women to become a productive member of society. We will also have the Father’s Closet within the store for a referral program for those in need,” Byrd said.
“Several years back God told us to go into the streets of America and preach His word to the lost. We walked with backpacks in 22 states and several cities. We ventured into the alleys, hedges, under bridges, abandoned buildings, and into homeless shelters armed with the Gospel to help the broken. Along our journey we saw the need to help, especially the women that were trapped in being trafficked and addicted,” shared Byrd, who returned to Xenia in 2018 and formed SOS Ministries.
SOS board members include Doris Jones (president), Matt Richter (vice president), Mike Jones (treasurer), and Erin Richter (secretary).
The store will offer clothing, shoes, purses, toys, home goods, jewelry, vintage items, etc. Store hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m. to
7 p.m. For donation pick-up, call 937-352-6066. For information about volunteering at Offering Second Chances, call 937-262-4100.
