THE MISSION OF LIL'S THRIFT SHOP

The mission of Lil's Thrift Shop is to raise funds in support of animal care in Rutherford County. Staffed by dedicated volunteers, all proceeds raised by the Thrift Shop directly go to animal support through the critical work of various nonprofits who depend on Lil’s to meet their constant needs. In doing so, our work directly impacts children and families, minority populations, disadvantaged communities, the elderly and disabled population and others who are in need of services they are unable to provide for themselves. In doing so, we are helping the environment by preventing items from going to the land fill.

In late 2013, Lil Rossow, a devoted animal lover whose special affection was for cats (Ringo and Star were her devoted companions for years), “inherited” some household contents donated by a neighbor who had moved away. After convincing  the owners of one of the available stores in Buffalo Junction to allow these goods to be “temporarily” stored there, the Thrift Shop quickly became a reality, welcoming customers on Saturdays when Lil manned the shop alone. It operated this way as a “one-woman show” for several years. Given Lil’s love for animals and her knowledge of the Rutherford County Humane Society (RCHS) as a Lake Lure resident, she gave profits to that organization to assist in the care of animals.  Word of Lil’s efforts got out, with other animal lovers soon wanting to support her mission to provide support for animal welfare and abuse prevention, and more donations started coming in. Following that initial start-up period, volunteers began to appear and assisted Lil in increasing the number of days the shop was open. The rest is history! 

In 2017, Lil’s declining health led to her leaving Lake Lure to be close to family in Ohio. Shortly thereafter, the shop was remodeled with proceeds generated from the shop, as well as a contribution from the landlord. In conjunction with a 2018 holiday fundraiser organized by the volunteers, the shop was renamed Lil’s Place in honor of its founder. Sadly, Lil passed away in 2019 and was never able to see the changes made in the shop.

In early 2021, the volunteers collectively decided to create a 501(c)3charitable organization and expand the reach of Lil’s by contributing to dedicated animal care organizations within our community. The shop operates today as Lil’s Thrift Shop and supports a number of animal welfare organizations within Rutherford County.