Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Walker.
Hi Kelly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Over the last seven years, I moved back home to Cleveland where I was born and raised. During that time, I lost many family members. In the process of losing them, I gained their property. Along with all the things I lugged around the world, with all the stuff I was acquiring, I felt like I wanted to get rid of everything I owned.
A family member, out of the blue, told me about a thrift store closing on Lorain Ave., in Cleveland. Well, I went and spoke to the gentleman who owned the store, we made an agreement, and I was on my way. My family member told me that day, that the guy got rid of everything and the deal was off. December the fall year 2019, I moved back to Jacksonville. I spoke to a family member down in Jacksonville and just like that, I had a building on Myrtle Ave. Covid hit and I hurt my back. I was in the bed for about a month and a half, up in Cleveland, because though I moved to Jacksonville, I was still going home once a month.
When I got home in February, I threw my back out doing a job. I was stuck in Cleveland because of my back and everything had begun to shut down because of Covid. At the end of May 2020, I began helping take care of my grandma Susie, who had dementia and began to have sundowners. I had insomnia, so I would go a sit with her at night, watch tv and eat. My back was better, but not as well as I thought, but I kept helping out. I still had the keys to the store down in Jacksonville, but the future of the world was unknown.
In August, My granny went into hospice when I decided to come to Jacksonville and grab my stuff. When I came, two of my former friends agreed to go into business with me and I went forward with the store. In October, The weekend that my partners and I fell out, my granny died. The breakup was very ugly. We didn’t share the same heart. I was doing this for the community, they were doing it because they were desperate to get out of the situation they were in.
That recipe never was going to work. It hurt like hell because I thought we were tighter than we were but I had to realize they weren’t meant to come with me and I had to stop trying to drag people along with me, just because. I had to be level-headed for my family. I went back and forth to Cleveland twice in a two-week period because I was still conducting business when we parted ways. The show went on. I was in agony on the inside, but I knew I had to do this because I invested time, money, and effort. I was sitting in my granny’s robe and I thought, I should change the name of the store from Affordable 2nd’s, to Susie’s Affordable 2nd’s, because she really liked clothes and jewelry, especially if it was mine.
So I changed the name and took off running. Our store embodies love, peace, and inspiration for the community. Our mission is to provide affordable second-hand items at a reasonable price. All while spreading love, inspiration, and peace to those we embrace. Susie encompassed all of those things and she passed those things to those who knew her. I’m thankful for her and will continue to spread her love.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely hasn’t been the smoothest! Broken partnerships, not having enough finances, dealing with the city and different regulations, dealing with deaths, my granny, a few childhood friends from the sandbox, and my best friend Brother/partner in crime while in the Navy, and after, all passed while I’ve been trying to grow this part of my business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Susie’s Affordable 2nd’s?
Susie’s Affordable 2nd’s is the community, black-owned thrift store. We believe in spreading love, peace, and inspiration. We give free items away daily to those in need, we also have affordable items at a reasonable rate. What sets us apart is, that we try not to throw anything away.
We give things away for free in the community and then we also drive around downtown Jacksonville and we give items away to the people on the streets in need. We are for-profit but we are also about the community. We want to be the change we need to see! I’m most proud of the fact that we are making a difference in many people’s lives, based on pure love! We want your readers to know we do accept donations and volunteers.
We also provide opportunities for other people to have their things sold out of our store. We currently have ABC Boutique, owned by my younger Cousin Chole.
What’s next?
We are looking forward to expanding what we do in the community. Currently, every Sunday we give away food, and clothes, and soon we will have other items to give. We are going to have a community clean-up and other things to bring people together.
Pricing:
- We have $5 dollar bags in which you pay five dollars and can fill the bags from things in the bins.
Contact Info:
- Website: Susiesaffordable2nds.com is under construction but will be up and going soon
- Instagram: @Susie’s.affordable2nds
- Facebook: Susiesaffordable2nds
- Other: https://instagram.com/abc.boutique?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
