LA GRANGE, Texas — On Aug. 2017, La Grange was underwater. After much anticipation, Second Chance Emporium, a resale shop in the town, opened the doors to its new building on Friday.
Hurricane Harvey flooded most of the town, forcing many to look for help at Second Chance. The shop helped in any way it could, acting as the disaster relief center for six weeks after the hurricane.
"Second Chance Emporium then operated as the disaster recovery center. The distribution, the donations – we accepted that," Linda Morrison, the Second Chance Emporium board secretary, said.
The thrift store moved from its original location along the Colorado River to Reynolds Street, officially settling in over the past couple of years. The shop's staff and volunteers credit the community with keeping it afloat.
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Second Chance has been a part of the La Grange community since 1996.
"This is the community. This is Fayette County. This is what they accomplished after Hurricane Harvey by supporting us and this is what we were able to do," assistant shop director Ed Lukasik said.
The shop's staff and volunteers won't soon forget what happened more than two years ago. A wood carving sits near the front door to serve as a reminder of the destruction and the growth.
According to Morrison, a Mennonite Disaster Service employee carved the longhorn herd into the trunk of a tree for the town. La Grange decided to display it inside Second Chance because of the shop's importance after the hurricane.
"It just represents everything that La Grange and Fayette County went through with Hurricane Harvey," Morrison said. "A lot of not-so-happy memories, but now a lot of happy memories that we have come around it all."
The shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Friday and Saturday to accept donations and for customers to browse items throughout the store.
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