Winter Park City Hall is home to a small organization with a long history of doing good for the community. Winter Park Benefit Shop provides support for local charities with an all-volunteer staff and an extensive selection of merchandise, but the end of its current lease has the nonprofit shopping for a new address.
Donated items are sold at deep discounts from its small-but-well-stocked 140 W. Lyman Ave. location with all proceeds benefitting a list of organizations, chosen by its five-member Board of Directors. All manner of knick-knacks share display space with household items, clothing, jewelry, and toys; however, the story behind the store is as noteworthy as the inventory.
Winter Park Benefit Shop evolved from a 1917 effort by local women to deliver essentials like groceries and clothes to residents in need. Originally known as the United Relief Society, it was renamed to Winter Park Welfare Association in 1921 and opened as Winter Park Benefit Shop in 1935 at 216 S. Park Ave. It relocated to Lyman Avenue in the 1940’s, residing at the current Winter Park Welcome Center property for more than 60 years before moving to City Hall and occupying the former city jail in 2006. Steel doors, padlocked windows and some jail cells are not hard to spot but are only a backdrop to the retail spectacle.
The shop has operated rent free and without utilities fees, but a pending renovation project and a need for office space is forcing City Hall to make some changes. According to Assistant City Manager Michelle del Valle, the Benefit Shop’s current lease began in 2015 and spanned five years with two, two-year renewals. “It technically came due in August,” she said, “and we signed an extension at their request because they wanted to be open through the holidays.” The shop will remain open through January 15, 2025, and its next steps are under discussion. del Valle said the city has put the Benefit Shop Board in touch with some local churches and realtors, and a Benefit Shop representative told the32789 that The Sharing Center may help distribute any items remaining after the holidays in the event a new location is not secured in time.
Its Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday schedule was expanded in 2017 to include Wednesdays before being reduced during the pandemic, along with its staff. Four volunteers currently keep the shelves stocked and the business running from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. According to a volunteer, about 100 shoppers stop in each day to browse and buy. The shop donates between $12,000 and $15,000 each year and the current list of recipients is as follows:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida
- Christian Service Center (Winter Park Branch)
- Family Promise of Greater Orlando
- Freedom Ride, Inc.
- Harbor House of Central Florida
- House of Hope Orlando
- Orlando Union Rescue Mission
- The Russell House for Atypical Children
- Second Harvest Food Bank
- Winter Park Day Nursery
The public can take advantage of the deals and help the cause until January 15. Anyone wanting to share tips on another location or looking for more information can call the shop at 407-691-7888.
