PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Beaverton boutique owner is helping local veterans in a big way— and she’s doing it all through sales at her store.
The Gung Ho Ministries Boutique off Main Street in Beaverton has women’s and men’s clothing, along with shoes, jewelry and handbags. All the proceeds from sales at the shop go straight into the hand of local veterans.
“One of our customers gave our name to somebody at the VA, and they contacted us and they go, ‘Hey we’ve got a veteran that needs help with rent,’ and I go, ‘Oh my gosh, this is awesome,'” founder Tanya Hawkins said.
Hawkins’ grandfather was in the Air Force, which is much of the reason she holds veterans close to her heart.
The non-profit boutique she founded 11 years ago grew from her garage to the 1,800-square-foot store it is today. The money it’s raised has paid for rent, electricity bills and even a $2,000 mobility scooter that a veteran needed.
“He lived in Gresham, and he came all the way out here to say thank you and that was pretty awesome,” she said. “He was a Vietnam war veteran.”
Along with customers, Hawkins says several local consignment stores make donations to the boutique, including Simply Posh, Consignment Revolution and Gather Resale.
In its first year, the GHM boutique gave $1,300 in assistance to veterans. In 2021 — that number grew to a whopping $105,000.
So far in 2022, GHM has already handed out $100,000 to local veterans.
“They’re very humbled and can’t believe that we’re doing what we’re doing,” Hawkins stated. “I wish we could do more — it’s hard to say no.”
Find GHM Boutique’s Facebook page here
Hawkins does a lot of her sales online through the boutique’s Facebook page, where she does live video sessions nearly every night. Visit the link above to check it out.