OUR SHOPPE
Second Chance Thrift Shoppe sells new and gently used clothing, housewares, collectibles, jewelry, books, electronics, toys, videos, linens, furniture, and more!
We are almost entirely volunteer run, which enables us to maximize our support for Garden Center Services to whom we donate 100% of our profits to help fund programs and services for adults with intellectual disabilities. Second Chance is proud to train and employ people with disabilities in our shop. Our incredible staff with and without disabilities work side-by-side to give you the best possible shopping experience.
Originally located in Lemont, Second Chance Thrift Shoppe moved to our new location in Mt. Greenwood in June 2022.
Learn more about Garden Center Services.
OUR CAUSE
Garden Center Services was established in 1956 as a grassroots effort to support children with developmental disabilities and their families. As those children grew, Garden Center grew with them. Today, Garden Center Services serves over 100 people, supporting them to live as independently as possible at home, to earn a living doing a job they love, and to learn skills to help each person reach their individual goals.
Second Chance Thrift Shoppe is dedicated to supporting Garden Center Services and their mission of advancing lives of connection, contribution, and meaning for persons with developmental disabilities and the individuals that support them.
Second Chance fulfills this goal by raising funds through providing an amazing thrift experience for the community with quality items, in a comfortable environment, served by a friendly (and mostly volunteer) staff.
In addition to supporting Garden Center through its profits, Second Chance also supports Garden Center by donating needed items to its homes and day program as well as opening their doors to enable program participants to pick up clothing or other needed items.
Join us by shopping, donating, and/or volunteering to help us change lives at Garden Center Services.
Learn more about Garden Center Services.
OUR HISTORY
The original Second Chance Thrift Shoppe opened on July 1st 2008 in Lemont, IL. It was created by Bonnie and Ron Nalepa to help raise funds for Garden Center Services where their son, Bill, lives with two of his friends.
Second Chance has a long history of supporting several charities in addition to Garden Center, through the donation of clothing and home goods. In 2013, a group of volunteers even drove a truckload of clothing, toys, and other supplies to Oklahoma to help families displaced after a tornado.
In early 2020, Second Chance was working to make the move to Burbank, IL to be closer to Garden Center programs and enable individuals served by the agency to work at the shop. After the COVID shutdown, those plans were put on hold until 2022 when the store was able to move into its new location in Garden Center’s administrative building on 104th and Kedzie Avenue in Mt. Greenwood.
Learn more about Garden Center Services.
