Thrift and Gift celebrates anniversary

Orange's Thrift and Gift Shop, a non-profit group that helps senior citizens, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this week with a special sale on Saturday, November 4, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The store, which is now at 350 37th Street in the former Salk Elementary School, began in downtown Orange half a century ago. It was developed as a place where senior citizens could have a place to sell their handmade crafts and goods to earn extra income to supplement their retirement.

The store also offered senior volunteers a place to work, visit, and gather. Women quilters through the decades at Thrift and Gift have been gathering to work on designs. Their work is often put up for sell or sometimes raffled as a fundraiser.

This season's quilt raffle is for a colorful Christmas snowflake design with green and red embroidery fit for a queen size bed. Raffle tickets are $1 each or $5 for six.

Also, the "thrift" part of the shop comes from taking a wide variety of used, or even new, items from donors and putting them for sale to the public. The eclectic items may include old sewing machines, crystal, china, furniture, Halloween costumes, Christmas decor, home and garden decorative items, plus toys.

A wide variety of clothing and shoes are available from vintage to recent styles. Baby and toddler clothing, including those with holiday

Homemade craft items might include bird houses, decorative home items, Christmas decorations, crochet and knit good, plus a number of creative handiworks.

The store's regular hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. During those hours, customers and donations are accepted.