The Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons is closing its Bargain Box thrift store.
The last day the shop at 562 East Pine Log Road will be open is Aug. 31.
"It was a hard decision, but it was the right one financially," said Sarah Tuccitto, the Cumbee Center's volunteer services/event coordinator.
Items donated to the Cumbee Center are resold at the Bargain Box or given to the organization's clients who need them.
"In addition to benefiting our clients, the Bargain Box provided us with a little bit of extra money after the grants we received were reduced," Tuccitto said. "But right now, the Bargain Box isn't bringing in enough of a profit to sustain our organization and to pay the expenses that are associated with it."
The Bargain Box has been in three different locations since it opened in 2009. The store moved from Richland Avenue to East Pine Log Road last year.
Area Churches Together Serving, also known as ACTS, has worked with the Cumbee Center in the past to help its clients with various needs, and now ACTS will be increasing its support.
"Because the Cumbee Center is closing the Bargain Box, their caseworkers will give their clients vouchers to come to ACTS for clothing, and we will honor those," said ACTS Executive Director Carla Cloud.
Cloud praised the ACTS board directors for agreeing to provide additional assistance to the Cumbee Center.
"We were a little concerned at first, but they don't have a huge influx of clients each month that they are helping, so it won't be that big of a burden," Cloud said. "I have to pat our board on the back for really knowing how important it is to partner with other agencies. We don't want to duplicate services, but whenever we can help another agency by doing something that we're good at, that's what we want to do."
The Cumbee Center still will be accepting donations of paper towels, toilet paper, feminine products and other items for its emergency shelter. A list of "continuous needs" can be found on the Cumbee Center's website: www.cumbeecenter.org.
Donations can be dropped off at the Cumbee Center's main office at 135 Lancaster St. S.W.
Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard.