New Purpose Thrift Store Gives Abuse Victims New Purpose
by James Coulter
Tiffany Minniefield had been a victim of abuse most of her life. She suffered molestation as a child and domestic abuse as a young adult. By 2010, she was able to get herself and her daughters, who were experiencing similar abuse, out of their dangerous situation and make a better life for themselves.
Knowing how isolating abuse can be, Tiffany desperately wanted to help others in that situation. She saw how much a local non-profit, Bruised But Not Destroyed, was doing in the community to help victims of abuse, and she wanted to help the cause. She has been volunteering with the program since September.
“Knowing the struggle that other people go through, I have become very passionate about helping others,” Tiffany said. “My heart goes out to them. I’m driven to help other people who have been in similar situations as myself.”
Tiffany currently volunteers at New Purpose Thrift Store in Auburndale. The store, which recently celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, provides new and gently used clothing, furniture, and other items with proceeds going towards Bruised But Not Destroyed, Inc.
Aside from raising proceeds for victims of abuse, the store also offers merchandise at discounted prices and provides resources such as food, clothing, toiletries, emergency and transitional housing, and counseling to those impacted by abuse.
Previously, the non-profit organization hosted weekly garage sales to help raise proceeds and provide resources to people. The turnout and donations proved so great that a whole new storefront was required, Tiffany said.
“I am looking for this to be as big as the Salvation Army, if not bigger, one day,” she said.
Tanika Poole is the founder of Bruised But Not Destroyed, Inc. and the owner of New Purpose Thrift. She started the non-profit organization two years ago. As a survivor of abuse and the mother of children who had been molested, she knows from personal experience how difficult finding resources can be. Her experience inspired her to start her non-profit organization.
“I founded Bruised But Not Destroyed because resources were scarce,” she said. “So I wanted to be a beacon of hope and provide resources such as food, clothing, toiletries, housing, and counseling for victims and families of abuse.”
In early August 2020, Tanika launched their first emergency andtransitional housing, BBND Housing. Within the first nine days, they had exceeded capacity. More housing was evidently needed. So she decided to open a thrift store to help raise money and resources.
Local sponsors like Wal-Mart, Citi Trends, and Cato Fashions have contributed generously to the cause, while community members also show their support by dropping off clothing donations. Publix Supermarket provides bread and sweets on Thursdays. The organization is currently seeking the help of individuals and businesses in the community to continue to save lives. All donations are tax-deductible.
Tanika hopes that her organization’s efforts extend past their storefront and housing. She hopes to open up a larger store one day, and she is expected to open two more emergency and transitional housing locations in the next three months.
New Purpose Thrift Store is located at 223 Main St, Auburndale, FL 33823-3403. Donations can be made on their website at: https://www.bbndinc.org/donations/
For more information, visit the Bruised But Not Destroyed Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/bruisedbutnotdestroyed/
