Becky Freeman always knew she wanted to find a way to give back to her community. What she couldn’t quite figure out was how. 

But, her dream began to click into place as she and her husband sat down to plan out the logistics of their new project. 

Find Discount Retail, a store located in the Beacon Strip Mall on Robbins Rd, had its grand opening on Feb. 19.  The store offers discounts on brand-new items, such as clothes, bathing suits, furniture, accessories and other miscellaneous items. 

The store can sell items for such affordable prices because of their methods of ordering and purchasing merchandise.

“When a big box store like Target is done selling a product or they have too much, it can cost them more money to keep it on the shelves than to take it off,” Freeman said. “They then place it on liquidation websites, where we order a truckload of merchandise for a fraction of the cost.”

Many of the truckloads they order are unmanifested, meaning that Freeman and her team have no idea what’s on the truck. This has led to some comical in-store items, such as a fuel pump and circular restaurant trays. 

“Sometimes we unload things and we don’t even know what they are,” Freeman said with a laugh. “We just throw it out on the floor and hope someone knows what it is. Otherwise, we donate it or destroy it, we can get pretty creative”

Ordering isn’t the only duty employees are tasked with. A glance through the back door will show them hard at work, unboxing new items and preparing to put them on the floor. 

“Even though we are about one month old, we are operating as a six-month business, so I’d say we’re doing really good,” Freeman said. “We’re also having a lot of fun and loving what we do. This work doesn’t have to be boring.” 

Find Discount retail employees take pride in their work knowing the lasting impact being made on their community. Each month, a quarter of their proceeds are donated to  Every Women’s Place and Grand Haven Area Public Schools Homeless Program. 

Students enjoy shopping and spending their time here, with a plethora of trendy items to choose from as well as knowing their money is going to a charitable cause. 

“It’s good to know that what you’re buying is helping others,” junior patron Margot Frendt said. “I know I’m not just putting my money into a large corporation, it’s helping people in my community.” 

Freeman takes a final glance around the store after closing hour, seeing a visual representation of her work and reflecting on the impact she has made. 

“My reason for giving back is because we’re all human and we all experience so much negativity, that there’s no reason not to be kind and help others,” Freeman said. “It’s in my DNA, it’s in my blood. Those that have should give, and if you don’t have anything to give, find another way.”