The thrift store at the Doll’s House is filled with items that were once someone’s trash. Now they’re being resold as someone else’s treasure to help fund operations at the mission home.

Johnnie Turner, who shares Doll’s House executive director duties with his wife, Stephanie, said the thrift store inventory could be a metaphor for what happens to the women living in transition at the group home.

“Everything that comes here, nobody wanted. They were saying, ‘It’s no value to me,’” he said. “One of the hardest things we hear in this ministry is when we hear someone say, ‘Nobody wants me.’ That means they don’t feel wanted, valued or needed.”

Turner said merchandise is donated that would have been discarded, but with some work, it can see new life in someone else’s home.

“We can take furniture and sand it, refurbish it, just like God does with their lives,” he said.

The Doll’s House, established in 2012, is a group home for women in transition. These are women who are escaping abusive relationships, who may be survivors of human trafficking, or they could be addicts or former inmates looking to learn self-sufficiency, Turner said. Some come with children. Others get reunited after a while and live on campus together.

The Turners use proceeds from sales through the thrift store and their food truck to pay for groceries and utilities to keep the Doll’s House running. About 75 percent of the operational cost of the Doll’s House is met through those sales, he said.

The thrift store is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If the food truck isn’t at an event on a Saturday, the thrift store is open then, too. Turner suggested checking the Doll’s House Facebook page before planning for a Saturday visit.

Donations of clean, gently-used items of clothing and unbroken, working merchandise are accepted Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The thrift store, located on the Doll’s House campus at 1618 Hwy. 51 N, also allows for the women in the program to work and interact with shoppers. They sort merchandise, learn to refurbish furniture, create displays and make sales.

“They get a chance to see what life is really like when they come out of here,” she said.

On Thursday, Shamia Jackson, an 18-year-old resident at the Doll’s House, straightened racks to make sure everything was in order for the first group of shoppers for the day. Learning about retail sales and customer service has given her confidence.

“I’ve learned hard work,” she said. “I’ve learned to always give things my best and to never settle for less and know that I am worth it.”

The Turners are thankful for volunteers from Elmo Baptist Church and Central Baptist Church as well as a frequent customer, Ronnie Huggins, for helping with the remodel and expansion. With a solid roof and walls in place, the Turners were able to open the thrift store each week instead of just hosting occasional yard sales.

Stephanie Turner said the thrift store has become a great place for shoppers to interact with the women going through the program and with her and Johnnie.

“People come in and it’s more than just shopping. People come in and they want prayer. They ask for prayer,” she said. “They can come here downtrodden and when they leave out, it’s a whole ’nother story. It’s not only helping these ladies, it’s helping the community as well.”