Community Thrift Benefit Raises $7,012 for Local Arts Education

Save & Serve Thrift Shop donated $7,012 in proceeds from its November 8 Benefit Day to the Holmes Center for the Arts, the thrift shop announced as part of its ongoing community giving program. The store designates 100 percent of sales from selected Benefit Days to local nonprofits, and this year’s contribution will be directed toward student scholarships and efforts to expand arts education access throughout Holmes County.

The funds arrive at a moment when families and educators are calling for more opportunities for young people to participate in creative programming. Save & Serve general manager Eric Raber noted the importance of community backing for youth arts initiatives and described the thrift shop’s schedule of multiple benefit events each year to support local organizations. A photograph published with the report showed young students visiting the thrift shop on Benefit Day, a scene that organizers said reflects the event’s dual role as a fundraiser and a moment of community engagement.

Beyond the immediate dollar amount, the donation represents a local approach to sustaining arts programming that public budgets alone may not fully cover. Scholarships funded by the donation are intended to lower financial barriers so students from across Holmes County can enroll in classes and workshops at the Holmes Center for the Arts. Expanding arts education can contribute to broader community benefits by creating safe spaces for youth to learn, express themselves, and connect with peers and mentors.

The thrift shop’s model ties small business operations to nonprofit support, channeling retail activity into social investment. For rural communities like those in Holmes County, partnerships between local businesses and arts organizations can supplement limited public funding and create more equitable access to cultural resources. Organizers of the Benefit Day emphasized that recurring events help build predictable support, allowing nonprofits to plan scholarship offerings and outreach efforts with greater confidence.

Community leaders and educators say this kind of funding helps maintain programming that can be hard to sustain through ticket sales or grants alone. As the Holmes Center for the Arts prepares to allocate the funds, staff and community partners will focus on targeting scholarships to students with the greatest need and on creating outreach that reaches neighborhoods across the county.

The contribution from Save & Serve is a reminder that small but sustained local investments can have measurable impact on educational access. For families interested in scholarship opportunities or for organizations seeking to partner on future Benefit Days, local contacts at the Holmes Center for the Arts and Save & Serve can provide information on upcoming programs and events.