Have you ever gotten the feeling as you walk into a thrift store that the value implied by the sale of secondhand products just isn't there? Have you ever spent $17 on a pre-owned printed T-shirt? If yes, you got hosed, and the fat-cat store owner is chuckling smugly. But hark, on the horizon, striding atop a white horse, comes the Assistance League. The nationwide charitable organization operates several secondhand thrift stores—including a facility in Costa Mesa—that sell used clothing at honest prices. A pair of slacks might set you back $5, a new parka $20. But the reason the league makes our list isn't the prices, but rather its dedication to local underprivileged schoolchildren. With the money earned at its stores, the Assistance League funds a program providing basic dental services to kids who can't afford them. Among the several other services it offers is a program called Operation School Bell, which provides clothing to needy children.
