Judy Pearson | Contributing Writer HANGING OUT AT FLO’S Thrift store offers secondhand support A 2ND ACT { survivors giving back } In 1882, affluent New York businessman Charles Crittenton’s heart was broken when his beautiful daughter Florence died of scarlet fever at the age of 4. Crittenton turned his grief into a lifelong commitment to provide safe haven for young women in need. Founded in 1896, Florence Crittenton, a grieving father’s promise, has become Arizona’s second-oldest social service agency. Over the years, the agency has gone from being a refuge for sick and destitute women to an early provider of daycare for working women and then as a home for unwed mothers and their babies. Today, Florence Crittenton provides emergency shelter, residential housing, healthcare, education, counseling and social support to girls and young women, ages 10 to 25. “Our primary goal,” said Dr. Kellie Warren, executive director, “is to break the cycles of abuse and neglect.” The agency accomplishes its mission by providing a therapeutic group home, individual cottages, a Girls Ranch in Scottsdale, and transition housing for young women ready to enter the world on their own. In addition, FloCrit’s all-girls Leadership Academy of Arizona is open to all young women (grades 9-12), empowering them to become enthusiastic and influential contributors to their world. Dr. Warren summed it up perfectly when she said, “These girls make meaningful connections, often for the first time in their lives.” These vital services change the lives of more than 700 girls and young women in any given year. Doing that, and doing it well, takes money. Enter this story’s second second act. On 7 th Avenue, just north of Indian School Road, lies a gem everyone needs to take note of: Flo’s on 7 th . This is not your mother’s thrift shop — although it was originally founded in 1961 by the Florence Crittenton Women’s Auxiliary. It’s an adventure in giving clothing and home goods a second spin. Looking for a gently used evening gown? Flo’s 44 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | MARCH 2019

Clothing, dishware, furniture, home goods — Floʼs has it all, neatly organized and beautifully displayed.