Furbish Thrift is the first program of the William A. Harrison, Jr. Foundation. The primary purpose of the store is to create a sustainable revenue source to raise funds for animal care organizations in Greater Richmond through sales of donated merchandise in a retail setting. Our support includes direct grants to non-profits already doing the work: trap and neuter/spade and feral colony management; animal rescue, including native wildlife; low cost pet spay/neuter; parasite prevention; and minor medical intervention.
We help connect and amplify these organizations, including the 50+ vital smaller ones that are largely built and run by volunteers, and to become a reliable, helpful hub that unites the animal community. Furbish Thrift host ongoing adoption events, vaccination clinics, and provides an home to a permanent pet food and supply pantry.
Furbish Thrift is located at 2833 Hathaway Road in The Stratford Hills Shopping Center
While there are roughly 30 nonprofit thrift stores in Greater Richmond, other than Furbish, there is not one that raises funds to benefit animal care. Shoppers love the thrill of the thrift, but passion for animals is the driver that sends support to this store, versus the competition.
Our mission is simple: to raise funds through the sale of donated items to benefit local animal rescue and care organizations. Our research into the market, and meetings with leaders from many of these organization helped us understand some of the underlying challenges, and revealed even more ways we might be helpful.
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The gift of a truck
Imagine our delight when we learned, just a few weeks before opening, that a private family foundation was making an anonymous gift of $75,000 to purchase a new 17-foot truck to be used for deliveries and pick-ups. Most people do not have the capacity to deliver larger items such as furniture to the store. The truck enables us to do just that, along with delivering larger purchased items for a minimal fee.
Our truck has also been instrumental in transporting large numbers of feral cats to the vet’s office for spay/neuter and other healthcare. Thus far, over 500 cats have been transported by the truck, for their once-in-a lifetime vet visit.
