New Philadelphia mom Renee Parker is one of the usuals at Barely Worn Children's Store.

"I've always liked to buy used clothes for my kids, but I know people who probably never considered it before are doing it now." said Parker. 

Whether its tough economic times or just a bargain hunter's latest adventure, every customer is going green and may not even know it.

"They're not ending up in the landfills.  We're giving them an out.  They can make a little bit of money on their clothes and not necessarily discard them." explained Bearly Worn Children's Store Manager Mindy Parsons.

The store fills a need for the town.

"Our community needs this terribly." added Parsons.

But the store has yet another purpose.

"This is their first job training experience: computer skills, cashier skills, stocking, inventory. They learn it all here." said P.A.L. Mission's Jamie Thomas. 

Thanks to creative thinking from the P.A.L. mission, Bearly Worn is just another way to prepare teen girls in foster care for independent living.
 
"They get a chance to believe in themselves and have someone believing in them, and to achieve what they didn't think they'd be able to achieve." said Thomas.

The community has really responded and Barely Worn employees have to log multiple consignment deliveries each and everyday.

That keeps moms like Renee Parker spending.

"All of the clothing gets used in some way." said Parker.

For more information, you can visit the P.A.L. Mission Web site.

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