On January 8, 2017 Caroline’s Nonprofit Thrift Shop gifted $275,000 to help fund 24 non-profits specializing in children’s programs. Caroline’s is a secondhand store located at the corner of Trout Gulch Road and Soquel Drive in Aptos.
The shop was founded by Christina (Christy) Licker. Its primary mission is to raise funds for Santa Cruz County non-profits that have programs and/or services for children with special medical, developmental, or psychological needs.
“This year’s $275,000 brings the grand total we’ve gifted,” said Christy, “to $1,125,000 since our opening in the summer of 2010.”
Gifts to Local Nonprofits from 2016 Caroline’s Thrift Shop sales:
Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition: $25,000- Hospice of Santa Cruz County: $25,000
- Jacob’s Heart: $25,000
- Special Parents Information Network: $25,000
- Coastal Kids Home Health Care: $25,000
- CASA: $25,000
- Teen Kitchen Project: $15,000
- Big Brothers/Big Sisters Santa Cruz: $10,000
- Survivor’s Healing Center: $10,000
- Partnership for Children: $10,000
- Walnut Ave. Women’s Center: $10,000
- Nourishing Generations: $9,000
- Easter Seals Central Coast: $8,000
- For Kids Monterey Bay: $7,000
- Camp Kesem: $6,000
- Adaptive Yoga: $6,000
- Youth Now: $5,000
- Second Harvest Food Bank: $5,000
- Building for Generations (Building Rhythms): $5,000
- Kinship Center: $5,000
- Community Bridges: $5,000
- Shared Adventures: $4,000
- Hope’s Closet: $3,000
- Team G Cancer Foundation: $2,000
Caroline’s Thrift Shop is named after Christy’s daughter Caroline, a special needs child who died in 2007 at the age of 16 from complications related to scoliosis surgery.
Christy decided to find some way to provide funding for those organizations who had helped Caroline: Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Jacob’s Heart and Special Parents Information Network.
Three years later Christy opened Caroline’s Thrift Shop in July 2010. She gifted the shop’s first $40,000 in profits to those “Core Four” organizations.
The thrift shop continues to grow with over 80 volunteers and a community willing to donate first class goods helping to make Caroline’s a continuing success and a funding resource for many local non-profits.
At Caroline’s you will find unique, high-quality, and rare items that have been donated by families near and far. The shop has almost everything including dishes, kitchenware, linens, children’s clothing, toys, sporting goods, ladies clothing, accessories,
books, and furniture, art and lighting with many of these items true collectables.
Caroline’s accepts donations seven days a week during regular store hours at the back porch and there are volunteers available to help unload your vehicle. All new or gently used items – children’s toys and clothing, men and women’s clothing, sporting goods, frames and art, furniture, dishes, linens, and other household items are welcome. If you have a special talent (gardening, painting, sewing, quilting, etc.) and would like to donate time, treasure or volunteer, Caroline’s welcomes you.
“The money we donate benefits thousands of local children and families each year,” said Christy. “It’s all happening because of one person who had a tremendous impact ― my daughter, Caroline.”
Christy told us that because of much-needed repairs and upgrades to Caroline’s facilities, it may be difficult to maintain the level of gifting for the next couple of years unless the community continues its extraordinary generosity in its donations.
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Caroline’s is located at 402 & 408 Trout Gulch Road, Aptos. Business Hours: M-F 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sat & Sun 12 – 5 p.m.