The Fuquay-Varina nonprofit is turning thrift-store sales into research funding, caregiver support and community connection
By Sarah Merritt Ryan
Since its founding in 1999, Fuquay-Varina-based Guardian Angel Thrift, with one satellite location in Apex, has raised and donated an astounding $3.5 million for Alzheimer’s research and support. Today, 65% of proceeds goes directly toward these efforts, reflecting the mission founder Laura Gaddis established from the start: advancing research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.
Guardian Angel’s flagship store occupies three units of a former grocery store at 742 North Main Street in Fuquay-Varina. Two additional shops sit next door: Little Angel, specializing in children’s clothing, and Thriftronix, which sells electronics. The Apex location is in the Vineyard Station Shopping Center at 710 Laura Duncan Road.
Four years ago, Lynette Somers succeeded Gaddis as executive director, carrying forward the organization’s mission and preserving the spirit and values that have defined it from the beginning.
“Laura and the Board had done some phenomenal things very quietly,” Somers says, “and I was like, ‘This is amazing! Can I do something with this?’
During her tenure, Somers has made some pivotal decisions, like positioning the organization as a mission-based nonprofit and directing funds to individual research projects, letting donors know exactly how their contributions are used.
Guardian Angel now provides direct funding to research projects, including Dr. Todd Cohen’s lab at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), and Wake Forest University’s ADRC.
“There are only 37 ADRC’s in the whole country, and we have two right here in North Carolina,” Somers says. “Our state is truly a leader in Alzheimer’s research.”(See nonprofit’s Alzheimer’s Grant Funding 2003-Present.)
Over the years, Guardian Angel has focused on funding “seed grants” that help researchers launch innovative projects that might otherwise go unfunded due to limited resources or unconventional approaches. Seed grants typically range from $50,000 to $100,000 as one-time awards to help scientists reach milestones required for larger federal grants.
Guardian Angel’s board recently updated their articles of incorporation to include providing support to caregivers. In partnership with the Fuquay-Varina Parks and Rec, the nonprofit holds a monthly social at the community center for caregivers and their loved ones.
Guardian Angel offers employment opportunities to people who face barriers like age or disability, and recently has implemented retirement plans for employees. The community built of employees and cultivated with shoppers is extraordinary. Somers said, “The majority of our 45 staff members have been with us for 7, 12, 15, even 20 years,” Somers says. “We’re in a small community with repeat customers. My staff get to know them, and they get to know my staff. It’s like a local gathering spot. I love that about our stores.”
On November 10, Guardian Angel will host its fourth annual Candlelight Reflections event in honor of those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia at its Fuquay-Varina location from 6 to 8 p.m. Held in partnership with Dementia Alliance of North Carolina, the evening will feature food trucks, vendors on Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and a bluegrass band.
“At 7:00 we begin the program, where we go around our circle and each say the name of the person or persons who we are there in honor or memory of,” Somers says. “It’s so peaceful and reminds us why we do what we do.”
Watch highlights from last year’s celebration here, learn more about Guardian Angel’s mission and impact on YouTube, and donate to the Guardian Angel Thrift Endowment Fund here. Donations to their thrift store locations are always helpful and appreciated.
