Belvoir Thrift Shop has a lot, gives even more

Well-stocked bookcases are a big draw at the resale shop.

Since 1950, regardless of its location, The Fort Belvoir Thrift Shop has given the community a place to recycle, reuse and resell its goods.

The shop has generated more than $500,000 a year in sales and has given a lot of that money to the local community, said Jackie Baer, store director and community liaison.

“We keep track of the money here in terms of what good we can accomplish with it. Our main concern is to improve the quality of life for our Soldiers.”

With that mission in mind, the Thrift Shop has supported numerous Army programs that include Hearts Apart, Family Advocacy, Victim Advocate, New Parent Support, Van Noy Children’s Library, Fort Belvoir Boy and Girl Scouts, Belvoir Chapter of the American Red Cross, Belvoir USO, Army Family Team Building, academic achievement scholarships, continuing education scholarships, Operation Sugar Plum and many others.

The shop has also helped numerous individual families with clothing, car seats, cribs and furniture.

“Everyone who comes here to work or volunteer, whether it’s a military retiree or one whose spouse has recently deployed, we have all been in that position when something goes wrong ... and we all know that family comes first,” Baer said.

The store depends on its more than 90 volunteers, who Baer considers family.

“We have volunteers that have been with us for 25 years. They have found a home here with like-minded people who want to do something good for Fort Belvoir,” she said.

Anyone can donate an item to the Thrift Shop, however, only service members and their families can bring in goods for consignment, which allows them to receive a portion of the money if their item is sold. The Thrift Shop accepts clean clothing, small appliances, decorative items, books and furniture. The store has taken in a number of unique donations that include diamond rings, fur coats and seaworthy boats, but mattresses and large appliances cannot be accepted.