Holding Hands, a local thrift store in Oxford, aims to employ as many people with disabilities as possible.
Angelina Mazzanti | The Daily Mississippian
Holding Hands Resale Shop
Located across the street from Walmart at 2618 West Oxford Loop, Holding Hands Resale Shop is much more than the average thrift store.
Opened by Donna Howard Jan. 2, the store aims to employ as many people with special needs and disabilities as possible.
Howard opened Holding Hands in the hope that she would be able to employ special-needs people like her own daughter, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at age 14.
“I was motivated to open Holding Hands after visiting a similar store in Nashville four years ago,” Howard said. “The store in Nashville employs 32 people with disabilities.”
After revisiting the Nashville store last May, Howard began making her dream a reality. Although Howard only has two disabled employees at the moment, she is working to grow her business.
“I hope to expand the number of my employees with the growth of my store,” she said.
Howard credits local businesses and other people in the Oxford community for the success of Holding Hands.
“Calhoun Paint donated the paint, Stout’s Carpet gave us the carpet, people have bent over backwards to help,” Howard said. “The building owner even said, with the store’s growth, he would expand the building. The store has restored my hope in humanity.”
Holding Hands is supplied with donated merchandise, and the store remains busy by offering half-price sales and matching other stores’ prices. Howard reassured customers that all of their products are clean and of high quality. Howard said most of their customers are Oxford residents, but she has not seen many University of Mississippi students shopping in the store. She is also looking for volunteers from the Oxford–University community to assist with the store’s general operation.
“It would be ideal for a campus organization or sorority to adopt the store,” she said.
Holding Hands is run on a minimal budget and is in the process of becoming a non-profit organization. Howard reiterated that a trip to the store will be worthwhile.
“It’s a great place to go if you are looking for a fun outfit or used furniture, but the real prize is the mission behind the store,” she said.
The store is open from 9 a.m to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
