Photo Story: 1st Hand Seconds

1st Hand Seconds Unique Boutique is an upscale resale shop located on 2nd Ave SW in Downtown Albany, Oregon, founded by Deborah Boulanger.  The boutique has been in business for about two months. Shortly after the boutique opened, it was shut down due to COVID-19. This women's clothing, shoes, accessories, gowns, and jewelry boutique is open Monday through Friday from 10AM-5:30PM and Saturday from 10AM-5PM.  They offer a wide selection of designer names at discounted prices. From shoes to dresses, every item is received by donation, and those that do not sell in the boutique are donated to other stores. The bridal boutique, Chic-ee Chic-ee Bridal Boutiqee, is upstairs above the boutique. Several bridal gowns are all donated from Adorned in Grace, a non-profit bridal boutique in Portland, Oregon, and Shabby Chic Bride Consignment Shop in Salem, Oregon. The gowns also mostly designer names, and they have many accessory options.

Proceeds from 1st Hand Seconds customers benefit Mercy House International Incorporation, helping women and children victims of domestic abuse. Mercy House is a biblically-based non-profit ministry that was founded in 2010 then opened 1st Hand Seconds. Both Chic-ee Chic-ee Bridal Boutiquee, located within this boutique, and 1st Hand Seconds financially support the ministry and the several assistant programs. These programs include a safe home for women and children victims of domestic abuse, coping classes, the Benevolence Fund, supporting women with food, clothing, assistance, and many others. When Chic-ee Chic-ee Bridal Boutiquee receives massive donations, some that cannot be kept after sorting are donated to a thrift store that supports a church in Idaho who is starting their own bridal section. 

Colleen Anderson, the boutique manager of 1st Hand Seconds, and Sharon Cray, making a weekly round of picking up donations from local supporting stores. Restyle Upscale Resale, located within the North Albany Village on NW Hickory St, donates women's upscale clothing that they don't sell to 1st Hand Seconds to sell in their boutique. Several local businesses like Restyle, Arauco, North Albany Supermarket, SouthPaws Perfect Pizza and Sports Club, and many others are valued donors of clothing, services, food, volunteers, and much more. Due to COVID-19, access was not permitted in the store because of wanting to abide by social distancing guidelines and a limited number of customers at one time. 

1st Hand Seconds Unique Boutique donating to a local thrift store, Albany Helping Hands, located on 1st Ave in Albany, Oregon, on November 25. Emily Congrobe, receiving cart fulls of clothes, accessories, books, and other donations from 1st Hand Seconds employee, Sharon Cray. 1st Hand Seconds sets aside all things that don't sell, or they don't hold in the boutique and donates them to local thrift stores and shops to be sold. The boutique tries to donate items weekly when they have lots of donations to help others. 

The old building, located on 1st Ave in Albany, Oregon, shut down in September of last year. The new building on 2nd Ave wasn't ready until September of this year, but the Mercy House ministry continued to accept donations and help women while they were closed. Mercy House International Inc. still had plenty of food and clothing donations to serve women and children victims. Once COVID 19 hit, the new boutique contractor struggled to get the construction work done from March to September, which prolonged the reopening of 1st Hand Seconds. Sharon Cray, 1st Hand Seconds employee, helping unload unused donations from the boutique to a local thrift store, Albany Helping Hands, on November 25. 

Colleen Anderson spreads the Christmas cheer to other local stores through donations of items the boutique cannot sell.  She brings a truckload of materials, clothes, showed, accessories, decorations, and more after sorting the boutique items. "God's good; he has really blessed this ministry," Colleen Anderson, 1st Hand Seconds Unique Boutique manager. She explains how grateful and blessed they are for receiving so much support from the community, their customers, and God.