The Rise as One Thrift Store will open to the public next Saturday, April 9, at 122 Main Street in Mathews. It is located in a two-story white building near the funeral home.
The store will offer a range of items for sale, from women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing and accessories to books, linens, collectibles, and household goods. Store owner Cathy Burke Schirmer said there will initially be some antiques on hand from the sale of the Connecticut antique business she operated prior to moving to Mathews. A selection of birdfeeders and planters will be available as well, she said.
Hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Donations accepted
Schirmer said she is accepting donations for the store, which is being operated as a way to raise funds for the Rise as One Foundation, a nonprofit established by her husband, Joe, to support veterans in need of housing. The couple plans to eventually build an independent living facility for veterans on property they own in Cobbs Creek.
The foundation was started by Joe Schirmer, who is himself a veteran, after a 96-year-old friend of his lost much of his property and nearly lost his home because of a conservator. A World War II veteran, the friend was put in a nursing home, and the conservator sold all of his household goods, said Cathy Schirmer. Working with friends and volunteers, Schirmer made repairs to the neglected home and moved his friend back in, where he lived until just before his 101st birthday. Thus, the idea for a home for veterans was born.
Connecticut natives, the Schirmers moved to Cobbs Creek in late 2019, just before the pandemic hit, said Cathy Schirmer. They have relatives in Williamsburg and decided to move to the area after visiting them. She said increasing congestion, traffic issues, and high taxes had made them decide to leave Connecticut.
A real estate investor, Joe Schirmer purchases dilapidated houses and rehabilitates them for resale, said Cathy Schirmer. She said he has the goal of establishing Rise as One homes for veterans in 33 states.