Hawkins Dale
The Earlysville Exchange calls itself “a thrift store and more.” And while its shelves are filled with everything from dishes and other household items to clothes, shoes, toys, books, and jewelry—plus art and furniture in the annex next door—it’s the “more” that really sets the place apart.
Members of Earlysville’s Chestnut Grove church opened the shop in the fall of 2014, and since then, the Exchange has donated more than $300,000 to area nonprofits, including the Charlottesville Free Clinic, International Neighbors, The Haven, Loaves & Fishes, PACEM, the Salvation Army, and All Blessings Flow, to name just a few. Retired minister Benny Clark, who spearheaded the Exchange after opening a similar thrift store several decades ago in Vail, Colorado, says it’s not just a spot for people to drop off their slightly used goods to be sold at very reasonable prices; it offers “employment and gives money away to nonprofit organizations—and we provide a welcoming space to come have a cup of coffee.”
It’s also the place where children who attend nearby Broadus Wood Elementary School go when their families can’t afford winter jackets or school supplies. In addition, the Exchange, which is staffed by a handful of paid employees and dozens of volunteers, steps up when someone’s house burns down or an immigrant family with very little moves to the area. It recently donated thousands of dollars to help build the Salvation Army’s new Center of Hope.
“It was really important for us to help people understand [that we aren’t] starting a thrift store,” Clark told The Daily Progress when the Exchange opened. “It’s building community.”
