Featured photo: Ariel Ashford looks longingly at the formal gowns, dreaming of proms to come. There is a full selection of formal wear and everyday wear for men, women and children at Hand of Hope Thrift Boutique.
Written by and photos by L. M. Land
It is an appealing idea to shop and promote literacy in our community at the same time.
We can do that now at the Hand of Hope Thrift Boutique, at 4327 Miller Road, which opened on May 2, 2023. The purpose of the store is to give the Flint community a place to shop for quality affordable items. The profits are used for literacy/mentoring programming in our city’s schools.
“Our whole concept is being blessed to be a blessing, and us serving the community as a whole,” explained Tiara Blassingame, executive director of this non-profit organization.
“One of the things that set us apart from other stores, is the hometown feel,” explained Dale Blassingame, president of the organization
“And you know your money is going right back into the community,” Dale Blassingame added. “We are from the community. This store is a community store. We have the low prices. We’re doing that for a reason. We want to make sure people in the city can afford nice clothes. This is for Genesee County, for Flint.
“We are offering style on a budget so we have something for everyone. We have great prices and do color change sales. So, everyone can provide for their family in a time of inflation. We also have a boutique where we have jeans for $10. People can come and get great styles and high-end items at a fraction of the cost.”
At Hand of Hope, shoppers can also buy other items like toys, household goods, books, CDs, jewelry, shoes and more. There is clothing for every member of the family.
Tiara Blassingame explained that the idea came during the pandemic.
“We founded the organization when COVID hit,” she stated. “We said all students will suffer, but Flint students are going to drown. That was back in 2020, and then in November God gave us the vision to be able to open the first store, to be able to fund our work, and ultimately bring attention to the work He has called us to do.
“Our first stamp of approval that God was in our journey is when we were in downtown Flint for a prayer vigil, and they said that St. Vincent [de Paul] closed, and it was their last day. We were able to buy all of their leftover racks. And we also hired Dawn, who ran their center for 30 years. We couldn’t do it without her. We are honored to continue their legacy. We are definitely grateful for the seed they planted and the work they do.
“All proceeds go to help disadvantaged youth here in Flint to reach their full potential. We adopt cohorts of students. Right now, with our Recast grant, we adopted students at the International Academy. We provided a Superpower Program summer program where our first goal is to help make sure they can read at grade level. They are receiving one one-on-one tutoring from certified teachers to get them to grade level.
“We would like to show that regardless of zip code, students can succeed, given the right support. The goal ultimately will be to adopt a cohort of students at every elementary school and then continue to expand our work as we go forward.”
Tiara Blassingame further explained that they are aware of the link between illiteracy and how it affects the probability of going to prison. They want to have an impact starting at the early elementary age. The program goal is to follow this cohort of students until they graduate from high school. The program will be “providing enrichment programming, helping them understand God’s given them a gift and a talent, a plan and a purpose, and then we provide support services to help them walk in that.”
According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, 70% of incarcerated adults cannot read at a fourth-grade level. This means they lack reading skills to navigate everyday tasks and/or hold a decent-paying job. Data supports that those without a supporting income earned by a job are the most prone to crime.
“Our program will meet with a teacher who provides support and a mentor,” continued Tiara Blassingame. “The program will evolve with the student, what a child needs in 3rd grade will be different than 7th grade. Job shadowing, job training as they grow, and exposure field trips” will be developed for the high school students.
Tiara Blassingame explained further, “The more of an opportunity we have to supply that consistent support, the more these kids are not only going to reach their full potential, but also be able to impact their circle as well as the world. Because when you walk in your area of gifting, not only are you good at it, but you love it and then you are more impactful. We are excited about the exponential impact we are looking to have. And then obviously when we adopt these cohorts we are also helping the families. One of our families this summer had their water shut off. We were then able to step in and help provide some supports and resources to be able to help. So, the parents also know they are not alone.
“I’ve been 20 years in education. I started my teaching career at Northwestern High School. I helped open a school for dropouts in Detroit. I went to Lansing and ran an alternative program. I’ve been honored to always be God’s hands of hope, shining light on young people to know that they have been given a gift and a talent, and it is amazing how they blossom under the right love and care. I spent 20 years doing this. So, I’m just so honored to now be able to do that in this capacity. That’s why we are adopting the kids so young [into the reading/mentor program] so we can help them grow and blossom, have the skill sets they need and then also teach them to avoid the pitfalls that detour kids from their future.
“I did it for a year. You plant seeds in the young people you know are troubled; they rise to the occasion; they are student of the year, and the next year you are burying them because they are selling drugs and ended up getting killed. That’s again where we want to make sure we’re able to plant those seeds of hope so early and have an understanding that as they go forward there’s gonna be things that try to come to detour them. They have to stay focused on the future and the fact that they have been given a talent to offer the world.”
Tiara Blassingame smiled. “It is so exciting every day to see it unfold. It is thrilling-the community support that we have received since we opened our doors on May 2, the outpouring of people bringing donations! We are growing out of our building already.”
“God could not have placed us in a better spot. I would be remiss to not recognize Riverfront Optical. They have been a God-send in terms of sub-leasing us the location. The owner definitely set us up with an amazing lease and opportunity because he believed in the work we are doing as well. They have been so kind and really positioned us to do this work. We are honored to be here, especially coming from nothing. It’s not like we had grants and there’s all this funding. We put the funding behind this to make this a reality, because we believe in the work God has called us to do.”
You can help to support this project by volunteering, shopping, donating and “letting other people know about us, to equip us to be God’s hands of help in the community” said Dale Blassingame. (They are not accepting books right now, but other items are welcome.)
Hand of Hope Thrift Boutique is located at 4327 Miller Road between Riverfront Optical and Harbor Freight and can be reached at 810-776-8020.
