A Business with Heart

We wanted to somehow marry addressing this need for people to find used kids' items with providing support for organizations in the Farmville community focused on helping people meet basic human needs. Then we decided we could do those two things at the same time.

"It was July 2024 when we started thinking seriously about this," said Adam. "We wanted to somehow marry addressing this need for people to find used kids' items with providing support for organizations in the Farmville community focused on helping people meet basic human needs. Then we decided we could do those two things at the same time."

In March 2025 they made the decision to move ahead with their concept for a store.

"I felt like the Holy Spirit actually said, 'You need to do this,'" said Sarai, who, along with her family, is an active member of the Catholic church in Farmville. "My first response was, 'No!' I don't know how. I don't have the time." But the Holy Spirit prevailed, and they registered their nonprofit organization with the state of Virginia in June 2025.

The Blincoe family and volunteers spent the summer and early fall completing the renovation of the store space, sorting through donations, organizing the all-volunteer sales staff and getting the store ready to open. (They are in the process of applying for 501C3 status, which will make A Giving Tree tax-exempt as well as nonprofit.)

"I alternate between excitement and energy-and terror," said Sarai as the date of the grand opening drew near. "I think we're going about it in a way that it will be hard to fail, but netting $50,000 is a considerable goal."

Not surprisingly for two professors, the way the Blincoes went about their new enterprise was to do their homework.

They consulted with Dana Knott at Longwood's Small Business Development Center to develop a business plan and complete initial paperwork. They did market research, gathering information from several nonprofit thrift stores in the region to determine the keys to their success and set a reasonable revenue goal. And they evaluated Farmville as a location, noting that the recent closings of a children's thrift store and the Goodwill store had opened a market opportunity.

We're learning how to run a business and a nonprofit. A part of this for me has been the intellectually humbling experience of learning so many new things. It's refreshing, too, as a teacher, to not be the expert for a change.

"We're learning how to run a business and a nonprofit," said Sarai. "A part of this for me has been the intellectually humbling experience of learning so many new things. It's refreshing, too, as a teacher, to not be the expert for a change."

They knew success would also depend on help from the Farmville community. They recruited a five-member board for the nonprofit, and they plan to bring in a student intern from Longwood this spring to help with business management and communication.

Comprising the board, along with the Blincoes, are president Amanda Dymacek and secretary Nora Feeney, both spouses of Longwood faculty members; and Samantha Dunn-Miller, interim information services manager at Longwood's Greenwood Library.

"Amanda has the energy of four golden retrievers let off leash. She has done an incredible amount of work," said Adam.

I have never worked so hard to make no money. But the impact on the community is real. So many people have said, 'Farmville needs this.'

"I have never worked so hard to make no money," Dymacek said with a smile as she helped customers at the grand opening. "But the impact on the community is real. So many people have said, 'Farmville needs this.'"

Dymacek and the board connected A Giving Tree with other like-minded individuals who donated time, skills and materials. "We did a fundraiser for startup costs and raised what we thought was 1/4 to 1/3 of what we needed. But people have been so generous with their help that what we raised covered most of our initial costs," said Adam. "People just popped out of the woodwork to help."

"It's been an exciting family project," said Sarai, adding that her parents, Bill and Cindy Bergen, are a part of that equation with the advice they share as owners of Brighteyes Alpaca Retreat in Farmville. "The store is where we have spent our Saturdays and our evenings. We joke that we didn't want to be bored in our 40s."

Now that the store is open, the Blincoes have longer-term goals for A Giving Tree.

Eventually, A Giving Tree hopes to offer an online personal shopper service that would give busy parents the ability to provide sizes and needs and then receive a bag of items put together by store staff. Another goal is for A Giving Tree to become a community gathering place. The store offers free tea and coffee, and the first of a series of craft activities for children is set for 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22.

"After months of planning and dreaming-including, in the week before opening, a lot of middle-of-the-night dreams about stocking shelves and picking up toys-it was a little surreal and incredibly satisfying to actually be greeting customers and making sales that will help fund grants for the community," said Sarai.

A Giving Tree: Children's Resale Boutique is located at 201 A Street in Farmville. Hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Donations can be made at the store (during store hours only, please).