Unfinished Business: A Community Thrift Shop now open

Unfinished Business: A Community Thrift Shop is open behind Panera Bread on Route 1, right next to Accents. “We’re unique,” said owners Paulette Rappa and Lynne Maloy. “It’s a thrift shop with a twist.”

According to Rappa, Unfinished Business will open as a private operating foundation, and 85 percent of the profits will be donated to local nonprofits that focus on equality issues. “This is our community, and it is our job to make it strong and help it prosper,” said Rappa. “We maintain that everyone shares equal value and should be afforded equal treatment.”

Unfinished Business will have a series of associates that will work with them to provide inventory and volunteers. “Our first associate is CAMP Rehoboth," said Maloy. “We chose CAMP because they are a service organization that focuses on the Rehoboth Beach area: they advocate for equality within the school system and with public service officials; they are a clearinghouse on issues and area services; they do health testing; and they intervene, where appropriate, to help people in discriminatory situations. We have a number of other nonprofits that we are looking into, and we will hopefully decide on our next associate by July."

“Unfinished Business allows us to recycle, reuse and reinvent objects, sell them at a very low price so that they are available to everyone, and then we donate the proceeds to our associates. It’s a win-win," said Maloy.

Initially, Unfinished Business will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to to 5 p.m. and already, according the owners, there are treasures galore. Clients don’t have to be members to donate or volunteer. “All those donating will receive a tax-exempt statement for their taxes,” said Rappa.

Unfinished Business, 1839 Olde Coach Road, Rehoboth Beach, will open June 6 and will be accepting donations beginning June 3. The public may contact the store at 302-752-6225 or online at www.lpunfinishedbusiness.org or on Twitter and Facebook.