Guess one of the first places Beverlye Brady visits after landing on Kauai. The beaches? A golf course? A nice restaurant? Costco? Wrong, all of them. Try the Kauai Humane Society thrift store. “I get what I need for my
Guess one of the first places Beverlye Brady visits after landing on Kauai.
The beaches? A golf course? A nice restaurant? Costco? Wrong, all of them.
Try the Kauai Humane Society thrift store.
“I get what I need for my stay,” she said Tuesday.
The Alabama woman travels light because she knows she can pick up some of the things necessary at Blooming Tails while vacationing here. Books, an outfit or two for the beach or an evening out, even plates she uses to hold the cookies she bakes and delivers to friends on island, are just some of her purchases at the Lihue store.
“I get what I need for my stay,” she said. “I enjoy my time here and not have to lug around a bunch of luggage.”
She also likes knowing her money supports the animals at the KHS shelter, and when she heads for home, she donates what she can back to the thrift store to be sold again.
“And it gets reused,” she said.
Blooming Tails recently marked its one-year anniversary since moving into its new home at 3178 Kuhio Highway. It’s clean, bright and organized, said manager Michele Molineaux, and makes for a friendly, fun shopping experience.
It gets so many items donated, in fact, that it can’t put them all on the display floor.
“We’re always very grateful for our donors,” Molineaux said. “We wouldn’t exist without them.”
It’s celebrating with a rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at War Memorial Convention Hall. For $5, shoppers can fill a large bag with clothes for kids and adults, linens, blankets or stuffed toys and carry it out the door. It’s a good time to outfit children for school.
The KHS Wags on Wheels Team will also bring shelter dogs to meet and greet folks during the sale.
Organizers said the event is a good deal for the community and critters at the Kauai Humane Society, which receives the proceeds.
“We’re doing a service for the people that live here, too,” said thrift store employee Jeanne Dooley.
Molineaux said it’s part of the store’s “Pay It Forward” program. As donations are sorted, one group is created for the store while another group goes to local charities to help homeless and families in need.
“We’re blessed,” Molineaux said. “We get a lot of donations. Anything we don’t sell in the store, I always try to give it one more lifetime.”
Blooming Tails was 12 years at its previous location just a few blocks away. The new store is slightly smaller than the original, but offers a light, bright atmosphere that attracts a loyal clientele who often discover some treasures, Molineaux said.
The store carries Hawaiian-themed items, sporting and household goods, electronics, jewelry, DVDs, books, art, clothes and collectibles. It posts strong sales, some years more than six figures, that support KHS and its effort to find homes for dogs and cats.
“You never know what you’re going to find here,” Molineaux said. “It really runs the gamut of what we get donated.”
The store’s hours are Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, Friday and Saturday noon to 5 p.m.
Info: (808) 245-PETS
