Unfinished Business and CAMP Rehoboth Start TRANSmission
It was an idea born of the Caitlyn Jenner interview and Vanity Fair cover.
CAMP Rehoboth supporter Lynne Maloy, proprietor of Unfinished Business Thrift Shop and her side-kick CAMP Board member Kathy Wiz came up with a new CAMP program: TRANSmission.
“When I read all about Caitlyn Jenner and other people transitioning from male to female, or the other way around, I was surprised to learn just how long the process could take,” says Maloy. “And I read that buying a whole new wardrobe could be one of the major expenses for people who are transitioning.”
Kathy saw the problem, too. “Back in April, I read about a Florida organization that was collecting clothes for trans people,” she says, “and I immediately thought of Unfinished Business.”
Unfinished Business, now open for more than two years, is a large and busy thrift shop off Route One behind Panera Bread restaurant. It is set up to serve the community while donating proceeds to CAMP Rehoboth and other groups. And it has racks and racks of formerly expensive, gently used clothes.
When the idea first came up, Kathy contacted Sal Seeley at CAMP Rehoboth, who was thrilled with the thought of introducing some of his transitioning clients to the services provided by Unfinished Business.
“Sal didn’t know how many local people who are transitioning might want to take advantage of coming into Unfinished Business to shop, but we wanted people to be aware that we were here and available with a lot of wonderful clothes.”
“The more I read, the more I understood that people who are transitioning go through many stages during the process,” says Lynne. “Their bodies change slowly, and they may need different clothing at different stages. We just wanted people to know that we are here, with some amazing donated clothing at really affordable prices.”
It’s a fact that trans people face a lot of discrimination, and many struggle with finding housing and work. Having to buy a whole new wardrobe just adds to the challenges.
Here’s where the staff at Unfinished Business can assist. The shop is partly staffed by volunteers from CAMP Rehoboth, plus other staff members, young and older, with a variety of fashion experience.
“We are here to help people any way we can,” says Lynne. “I’m just happy to put the word out that we are available to support the community.”
And this new TRANSmission program fits in nicely with the shop’s own mission statement. According to Maloy, Unfinished Business serves the community by providing gently used clothing, furniture, and household items at greatly reduced rates. A percentage (85%) of their profits are donated to local organizations that promote and cultivate equality.
In addition to their huge selection of clothing, Unfinished Business also has furniture, framed art work, small appliances, books, and a huge selection of home accessories—from kitchen gadgets, to place settings, to all manner of decorative items. The best part is that proceeds are given back to the community.
In addition to the shop’s already successful business, Lynne and Kathy hope that their new TRANSmission really takes off. It’s one more way they can use the concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle, merging it with community activism, to make our world a little bit better.
The store phone number is 302-752-6225. The hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check with them about drop off hours and consider providing no longer wanted but still good clothing and household items to Unfinished Business. It’s a great thing to know that donated items will have a new life and help someone in the community find a wonderful bargain.