Second Chance Stories

Second Chance Emporium gave out over $100,000 in grants last month, in part because people like Kiya Brackin had birthdays.

Kiya was in the non-profit second-hand store last week shopping for something to wear to her 16th birthday party. The Columbus resident found just what she wanted – a flowing wedding dress with satin train.

“I came here looking for a dress,” Kiya said, “because I’ve got to look good for my birthday.”

Kiya stretched out the dress with the help of sisters Lexi and Maizy, and then announced that she planned a slight modification. She’s going to dye the dress pink.

Hey, you only turn 16 once!

There were plenty of other clothes at Second Chance, all donated by people from the community. She could have gone cowgirl with boots and hat or hospital chic in multihued scrubs. But a pink wedding dress does make a strong statement. She bought it.

Second Chance is run by local churches and all “profits” from the sale of fry pans, dinner tables and wedding dresses go back into the community. Every month, Second Chance makes grants to Tejas Healthcare, AMEN, Schulenburg and Flatonia food pantries, Combined Community Action, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services and the Fayette County Prescription Drug Program.

In March, the store made $106,000 in special grants, including: • $3,000 to the Faison Preservation Society to build an exhibit to display the Faison family’s history and the African American influence in Fayette County.

• $30,500 to BRIDGE (Building Resilience, Inclusion, Diversity and Growth through Education) to hold two events in Fayette County on faith and mental health, and to support a summer camp for young people held in conjunction with Blinn College.

• $15,000 to the Fayette Heritage Museum and Archives to help build shelving and storage for the more than 100,000 photographs, textiles, artifacts and other records in the Museum’s collection.

• $20,000 to the Friends of Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites to build an outdoor interactive exhibit space for young children.

• $2,000 to the Juneteenth Committee of Fayette County to help buy supplies for this year’s celebration.

• $4,500 to the Texas Quilt Museum to buy supplies and sewing machines that will be used at children’s quilt camps and for quilt classes for beginners.

• $31,000 for scholarships for 2024 high school graduates, including $5,000 to Fayetteville ISD; $6,000 to Flatonia ISD; $9,000 to La Grange ISD; $5,000 to Round Top/ Carmine ISD; and $6,000 to Schulenburg ISD.

And if you see somebody in a pink wedding dress on May 9, it’s Kiya.