Twin Pines Revived!

Pearl of the Post: Keep the dream alive

In 1972 Port Washington resident, Edna Turner established the Twin Pines Community Thrift Shop in a little nook of the Community Chest Building in Port Washington.

Her vision was to establish a food coop, offer nutrition classes, redistribute items and provide training and work experience for the challenged. She won numerous accolades over the years at the helm helping families in need and Twin Pines became a staple pantry for Port.

We have many families in need, now and then.

Over the years Twin Pines has become an integral part of the community with an active board of 14 members and numerous volunteers. Edna retired around 4-5 years ago and left an indelible mark upon the community.

One slight problem, the Twin Pines space fell into disorder and disrepair. I've been in a few times since moving to Port 12 years ago and well, while there was always something to find, it was a bit of a mess.

This past winter my local mom friend, Judith Heller, visited Twin Pines and saw its potential.

Judith explained, "I shared my vision and proposed plan to rework the space to the (14 Member) Twin Pines Board and they did not hesitate. In a short time we raised the necessary funds from the Dejana Family Foundation, Daniel Gail and an anonymous donor. It was amazing how fast the plan went into action and how excited the volunteers were to roll up their sleeves and help bring the space back to life."

Indeed, amazing things happen when you have a team of talented, committed folks!

I visited the newly remodeled space to meet Judith had the most interesting chat with Diane (both pictured above).

Diane is a Port mother of 4. She's doing something right because her kids are well on their road to success. Diane left her last job without a plan. While talking to her girl friend Karen at church one day, Karen mentioned Twin Pines was looking for volunteers.

Diane volunteered and as a natural fit she was hired to be part of the Twin Pines Staff. Diane shared how thrilled she is to be part of the Twin Pines Thrift Shop as well as to help keep Edna's legacy alive.

Twin Pines has a close working relationship with Spectrum Designs, another local non-profit who helps children and adults with Autism find gainful employment and develop skills. You'll find the Spectrum community working the floor and helping with projects at Twin Pines.

Twin Pines has a Community Cupboard of non-perishable food items. Families in need may help themselves on a pretty much no questions asked, no judgements passed policy.

The Thrift Shop is mostly comprised of apparel (baby, children, women's and men's), accessories, shoes, small house hold wares, toys (there's a room dedicated to toys with a built in play space for when you're shopping with your tykes), books, records, art (which is displayed in the hallways and inside the Shop) and more!

Best part is, all the items are sourced locally and ya know our local moms always look fly!!!

They're still re-settling in and carry nicer items than you'd expect. You'll experience reverse sticker shock in that the most expensive item I saw was $10. I bought 3 bags (1 was Marc Jacobs), 1 top (designed by Jennifer Love Hewitt - I mean I had to buy it!!!) and 2 books, all for under $20.

It was so much fun to meet the ladies and shop for good!

Like Edna's original intent, Twin Pines is poised to be a true redistribution center of town. Whatever doesn't sell gets paid forward and donated to Big Brother Big Sister of Long Island. Fundraising and informational events are in the works, like a Paint Your Own Upcycled Wine Glass on July 19th.

So stop by, say hi to Diane, shop around and drop off items! Tell em I say hi!

Twin Pines Community Charitable Thrift Shop:

382 Main Street (across from Louies!) Ph: 516-883-9777

Facebook: @pwtwinpines Twitter: @ttpopw Donation Drop off Hours: Weekdays 10am-12pm

Accepted Items: clothing (baby, children, women, men), jewelry, accessories (bags, scarves, belts, etc), shoes (baby, children, women, men), small household wares, artwork, books, records, etc. Does not accept bedding. Shopping Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10am-6pm Community Cupboard: A free and open cupboard, donate non-perishable food Events: Twin Pines will be hosting regular events July 19th ~ Paint Your Own Wine Glass