TAMPA BAY’S FAVORITE NEW LGBTQ BUSINESS
It’s hard to miss Out of the Closet Thrift Store’s St. Pete location, with its sea foam-colored facade and bright pink exterior. But even more obvious than its paint job is the organization’s dedication to the community it serves.
Each of its 21 locations across the country offers gently used clothing and wares, but unlike some thrift shops, it serves a greater purpose—benefiting the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Beside the shirt that catches your eye or the couch that’s perfect for your den is a pharmacy, and the location offers a safe space to get a free and private HIV test.
“Anyone can come in any day from Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and they can get tested,” AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Regional Director Shaundia White says. “We have a great testing counselor that’s there to offer information and testing to anyone that walks in the door.”
“People are constantly walking in and requesting testing,” White says. “Or they’ll just come into the store and kind of see what we have to offer, and they’ll see that we have testing.”
From the location’s opening in May 2017 through the end of last year, 572 HIV tests were completed. It’s something that’s prompted the organization to expand even further with a new health care center.
“It was a good transition for us to move into this region and expand, adding this particular component,” White says. “Our vision and our goal is always to look at ways that we can provide care at no cost while still bringing something back into the community.”
