On Monday, November 7, 2022, Kershaw Area Resource Exchange (KARE) closed on the purchase of the former Fred’s Pharmacy building located at 405 S. Hampton St., Kershaw, SC. The organization was able to acquire the building through a live auction. KARE plans to move its thrift store operations, known as The Exchange by KARE, to the new location in mid-2023. This move will expand the store operations to include greater in-take capabilities and more visibility. The new location will not only provide three times more square footage for The Exchange, but its prime position on a major throughfare will undoubtedly attract many new customers and donors. With this will come increased revenue for the store which will help fund KARE’s programs in greater ways.
With the move of The Exchange to its new location, space will become available at the organization’s current location to expand their food pantry operations, creating a food hub for Kershaw, Lancaster, and Chesterfield counties. KARE provided over 500,000 lbs. of food to 2884 households in 2021 and an additional 73,000 lbs. of food to 4074 household through the agency’s partnership with the United Way of Kershaw County’s mobile food pantry. With the purchase of the former Fred’s Pharmacy location, KARE is poised to dramatically increase its impact in Kershaw and the surrounding communities.
KARE is a non-profit agency whose mission is to help neighbors in need with practical support through crisis assistance, hunger relief, and resource referrals. KARE has been serving its neighbors for 40 years now. What started out as a community clothes closet managed by a local church, has now evolved into a tri-county assistance agency dedicated to providing resources that enable its clients to achieve sustaining financial independence.
