GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Secondhand clothing is giving people a second chance at life.

Two thrift stores in Greensboro sell gently used clothes, shoes and other items and the proceeds go to the non-profit Hannah’s Haven. It’s a residential recovery home for women battling addiction and other issues.

Women enroll in the program for two years. After the first year, they have the opportunity to work at these thrift stores called Hannah’s Bridge. Like the name, the goal is to bridge the gap between recovery and the real world.

“When you come to Hannah’s Bridge and you buy a shirt, you’re not just buying a shirt,” said Chelsey Johnson, a sales associate at the boutique. “When you donate a bag of clothes, you’re not just donating them. You’re literally saving someone’s life.”

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Each woman working at Hannah’s Bridge Thrift Boutique has her own story of how she became part of Hannah’s Haven. For Chelsey Johnson, her battle was addiction.

“I was addicted to crack cocaine,” she said. “I had lost custody of my son. I had court fines, debt up to my eyeballs, didn’t have a license. When I got to the Haven, I was pretty lost.”

Hailey Hinton was fighting a different battle.

“Before I came to Hannah’s Haven as a young child, I was sold into sex trafficking, so I was in sex trafficking for most of my childhood and then as I grew up, I believe that’s what my worth was found in,” said Hinton.

When both women started their jobs as sales associates at the boutique, they didn’t realize how much it would transform their lives.

“I’ve been working here for over a year,” said Johnson. “I have paid off $6,000 worth of court fines. I have saved enough money to buy a car. I’m completely debt free. I’ve gotten my license back.”

For store manager Carina Cole, seeing her employees get back on their feet means everything.

“My girls, those are my babies,” said Cole. “I’m able to see their before and their after and to be able to watch them thrive and understand they do have the capabilities and they have worth.”

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The skills and confidence these women have gained will carry them through the rest of their lives long after they leave this store. They hope they can inspire others to have strength to turn their own lives around.

“God wouldn’t do it for me and not do it for you,” said Hinton. “You just have to have a willing and surrendered heart to say yes and just do the next right thing, even if it’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done.”

There are two store locations. One is at 2166 Lawndale Dr. and is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. People can drop off donations there. The other location is at 1212 Grove St., which is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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