By Michelle Ruschman
For those who grew up in Niceville, The Bargain Box is known as one of the main thrift stores in town. Amanda Parish, the current ministry director, recalls how it all began.
“Six women started this ministry in 1957. It started as a fundraiser to furnish the parsonage but once that was accomplished, they saw it was so successful that they just kept going. They were originally in a tiny house in Valparaiso. They went from there to a storefront on Bayshore Drive in Niceville, then eventually to a brick house where the Crosspoint Pumpkin Patch used to be. The Bargain Box eventually raised enough money in 2002 to build the first part of the building we’re in now.”
Amanda has experienced every part of what The Bargain Box has to offer. Over the years, she has been a shopper and a volunteer, and in 2016, she became the first ministry director to be hired since the store opened in 1957. She has seen firsthand the exponential good that it does daily, especially when families are struggling to pay for shelter and food.
“Our mission statement sums up our goal: To provide affordable goods to the community and raise money to support missions and ministries.”
For Amanda and her team of employees and volunteers, however, it’s more than a store. After seeing the impact of 2020, and how it kept people apart, they are even more focused on building community through their work. “We see that part of our ministry is to provide a place where people feel safe and can have some fellowship. We’re available if someone needs to talk.
Some people are grieving or feel lonely and The Bargain Box is a comfortable place where they can see familiar faces, have meaningful conversations and serve. Even shoppers aren’t just shopping. They’re giving back with every purchase and helping someone else in need.
People come to our store and tell us how much they love that we help our community. It’s important to us to meet local needs. What many don’t know is that as our community shops, 100% of the sales contribute to local and international aid through the Bargain Box’s donations to nonprofit and ministerial efforts.”
Local missions, organizations and programs helped include Crossroads, Children in Crisis, Freedom House, Grace Rides, Soul Care, our local schools, Fresh Start, The Pearl Project, CALM House, and Youth Village. International efforts can be seen through Africa Advent, where Crosspoint partners with the church in and around the Congo to build churches, provide training and bikes to Congolese pastors, as well as Bibles in their native language. In addition, The Bargain Box helped to provide a roof for an orphanage in Guatemala and a well was built in South America. The first mission of the Bargain Box is to make shopping affordable for everyone. But, through its team, donations, volunteers and shoppers, its legacy will be that they are making a global impact through local effort.
The Bargain Box is located on 107 Partin Dr. S. in Niceville and is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. – Noon. Donations of gently used household goods and clothing are accepted, as they are able, during business hours. For large donations or furniture, special arrangements can be made by calling 850-678-4411, ext. 189. If you want more information about volunteering or have a 501c3 non-profit organization and would like to be considered for support, contact Amanda directly by emailing aparish@crosspointchurch.com.
