Free thrift store opens in Cleveland to help neighbors in need

A free thrift store is opening in Cleveland, offering clothing, household items and other necessities at no cost to neighbors who need them now. Unlike a resale shop, the store is built on mutual aid: residents can donate usable items they no longer need, and people facing tight budgets can take what helps them most.

That model speaks directly to families, students, seniors on fixed incomes and workers trying to stretch paychecks in Bolivar County. It can also help parents looking for children’s clothes, people rebuilding after a setback and job seekers who need clean clothes for an interview or a new shift.

The need is clear in Mississippi State University Extension’s 2023 Bolivar County poverty profile. Cleveland had 9,651 people and 3,996 households, with 2,738 people living in poverty. The profile puts child poverty in Cleveland at 33.0 percent, young adult poverty at 26.3 percent and elder poverty at 16.5 percent, figures that show how quickly a no-cost source for basics can matter in daily life.

Cleveland also has a deep charitable network around it. philanthropy.org lists 122 nonprofits in the city, with $59 million in reported revenue and $183 million in assets, and names New Life Church Of Cleveland Mississippi, Emma S Pantry and Blessings And Beyond Incorporated among the largest by revenue. The Salvation Army already has a thrift-store presence in the area, adding to the local mix of places where donated goods move back into the community.

For neighbors who want to connect with local civic and volunteer channels, the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce is at 101 S. Bayou Ave., Cleveland, MS 38732. The chamber’s phone number is 662.843.2712 and its email is info@clevelandmschamber.com.

The free thrift store adds another practical stop in a city where need is measurable and local giving already has a strong footprint. It turns donated goods into immediate support without the barrier of a price tag.