On Monday night, Lady Lake commissioners have given support the revised plan for the expansion of the Ye Old Thrift Shoppe in Lady Lake – one that would spare the lives of historic live oak trees once lauded for their longevity. While this is not the final approval for the building, the commissioners have given no objection to the Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe expansion.
A significant source of fundraising for the hospital’s auxiliary foundation has been rooted in Ye Old Thrift Shoppe, which began operation in 2008 at 106 W. Lady Lake Blvd. The original home for the thrift shop was a two-story building that had served as the first general store in Lady Lake for nearly 100 years. Ye Old Thrift Shoppe’s main operations consist of selling donated household items, including home decor, books, clothing, shoes, linens, jewelry, furniture and collectibles. The thrift shop has been good for the hospital, but it has also been a solid producer for the Town of Lady Lake, ringing up an average of $3,000 per month in sales tax.
Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe Continues to offer unique, high quality products donated by the generous Lady Lake community. The thrift shoppe generates over $422,000 annually to support the foundation and The Villages Regional Hospital. From 2015 to 2019, the Auxiliary Foundation has awarded 91 scholarships totaling over $414,637 to Hospital Staff and High School students furthering their medical education.
With this new expansion, the Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe is project to increase funding to the foundation and the hospital by 75%. This contribution to the foundation will help support the mission of the foundation and improve patient care at The Villages Regional Hospital.