Community Shop celebrates one year anniversary at new location
Len Hayward | Jun 16, 2026
Community Shop has been receiving usable household items and turning them into grants for Aransas County non-profit organizations for more than 40 years, and from June 25-27 the group will celebrate its one-year anniversary at its new store location.
Community Shop was part of Castaways in Rockport for more than 30 years, and in May of 2024 went in a different direction. The organization moved into a new location in January of 2025 at 201 East Cornwall in Rockport, and about six months later the new Community Shop thrift store opened, continuing a new chapter for the group.
The shop will be open from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on June 25-27 and will be celebrating its one-year anniversary.
“We are settled in … we have already outgrown it,” Community Shop Board President Tess Sauthier said with a laugh. “So, for the future we are hoping that it will continue to grow and continue to increase our revenues and giving a little more each year back to the community in the way of our grants. We love our location.”
Community Shop’s current location is leased and is approximately 7,000 square feet with around 3,000 square feet dedicated to the organization’s store. The remaining square footage is dedicated to the items the group receives, which includes everything from clothes, toys, and books to even holiday decorations.
The shop runs on volunteers, including Rockport resident Cathy Dever, who has volunteered for more than a decade and is more than happy to give back to the community.
“It’s very rewarding, I’m on the board and I’m on the grant committee and it’s just very rewarding,” Dever said. “It’s pretty unique and you get some unique stuff in, and you learn about a lot of stuff because you didn’t see it before.”
The group did not give away any grants in 2025 because of its transition, but in the 12 years prior had awarded more than $6 million in grants. Over the years, the group has awarded grants to organizations such as the Rockport-Fulton Good Samaritans, Fulton Volunteer Fire Department, the Children’s Coalition of Aransas County and Wings Rescue.
Southier said the group is also always looking for volunteers to help the organization.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to hand somebody a check for thousands of dollars, and they thank you with tears in their eyes. It’s so important to their organization,” Sauthier said. “It’s indescribable knowing that little bit we are doing is making such a tremendous difference in our community through these non-profits. It’s humbling.”
Credit: Len Hayward South Texas News
