Robin’s Home Thrift Store hosts raffle for grand opening
The Robin's Home Thrift Store and Donation Center welcomed in community members for the store’s grand opening event Friday at 221 S. Main St.
Although the store has been open since this past Veterans Day, the grand opening event formally announced the opening and offered a raffle to fund projects at Robin’s Home, where community members could win gift cards to various businesses on Main Street.
“The money we raise on the raffles will go into a fund where we can provide cellphones for our residents,” Mary Chitwood, Robin’s Home founder and director said. “Also when people successfully complete the program those who are need of more technology support we will provide laptops because a lot of the things they need to do is online.”
Robin’s Home has been open for three and a half years, according to Chitwood, and is designed to provide a full continuum of care for homeless, unstably housed and low income female veterans and their children.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for women veterans who are struggling and currently homeless,” Chitwood said. “They can be in the program for up to two years because it can be really intensive to help get them back on their feet.”
Cheryl Warner, store manager and former resident at Robin’s Home has been working endlessly to try to get the store ready for the holiday season.
“Robin’s Home saved my life,” Warner said. “I came to Butler a year ago, and Mary took me in under her wing. There was a lot of struggle, but there were a lot of victories. We did a lot of team building and learned a lot of coping skills.”
“I’m coming up on a year clean on Tuesday,” Warner continued. “I just wouldn’t have that if it wasn’t for the program.”
If there is one thing Warner wanted the community to take away from Friday’s event was that Robin’s Home Thrift Store and Donation Center is not just for veterans, but for everyone.
“We’ve had people come into the store solely for veterans or open to the public. We want people to know it’s for everyone,” she said.
What may separate Robin’s Home from others is the fact that they are willing to keep their residents for up to two years, according to Chitwood.
This is something Karen Triscas, a current resident at Robin’s Home is happy about.
“The length of time you can stay there is what’s important,” Triscas said. “I’ve been to rehab numerous times, and I feel you need to be there for a good bit of time because you are trying to break some bad habits you’ve had for a long time.”
Other services Robin’s Home provides are case management, legal referrals, financial literacy, child services referrals and workforce development.
The Robin’s Home resident house is located at 401 E. Pearl St. and certain programs are held there not just for residents, but any woman in the community seeking help.
“We have a recovery group every Wednesday for any woman in the community that struggles with drugs and alcohol,” Chitwood said.
