(La Porte, IN) - A new store in downtown La Porte is in the business of offering clothes for all ages and other things like coats and diapers at no cost.

 

You might ask how the owners make a profit?

 

Giggles at 614 Lincolnway also offers a variety of skin care products, five gallon containers of laundry detergent and other merchandise, like new prom dresses, at affordable prices.  People leaving with free items are also welcome to leave a donation.

 

Owner Abby Vogel said the idea is to meet a need in the community, which has been generous with donating plenty of mostly gently used clothing and other things, in a welcoming retail atmosphere to help people needing a little extra boost.

 

“No judgement.  No questions. If you need it, you need it,” she said.

 

Clothing for babies, toys and formula are among the other no cost items for young children at the back of the store. Items for older children and adults are in the basement.

 

“We have shoes. We have hats. We have gloves.  Anything you can possibly think of we probably have it,” she said.

 

Some of the donated clothing and other items at the store are brand new. Her skin care products include soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs and bath bombs made by her and a business partner.  Prom dresses given to her by the owner of a bridal store going out of business are priced, right now, at $50.

 

“We probably have maybe a hundred dresses here,” she said.

 

Vogel, who was formerly the manager of a gas station and casino, said she and her husband are parents to three foster, four adopted and their two biological children.

 

The no cost side of the business venture started by offering free items for foster families but the response from donors left them with plenty of goods to make available for all people

 

“At that point, we just opened it up to any child or anyone in need that needed things,” she said.

 

So far, Vogel said things have gone pretty successfully and she’s in it for the long term, if possible.

 

“We’ve made it through our first couple of months.  So, as long as we’re able to keep paying the rent and keep paying the things we need to pay like the electricity, we will stay and we will be here as long as we can to support the community,” she said.

 

Giggles is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.