LIFE’s Second Chance operates as one of two thrift stores run by LIFE Recovery, a registered Canadian charity based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, dedicated to recovery programming for women. The Second Chance location sits at unit 7 to 31550 South Fraser Way, inside the Clearbrook Industrial Park, and is open to shoppers Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a separate donation drop-off window running Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A sister location, Thrift For LIFE on West Railway Street, runs on its own schedule, but Second Chance’s industrial-park setting gives it a distinct, easy-parking feel compared to a typical downtown thrift storefront.
Every dollar spent or donated at Second Chance goes directly back into LIFE Recovery’s programs, which the organization describes as playing a vital role in funding its recovery initiatives for women. That direct line from register to program funding is the store’s core differentiator: rather than simply being a discount secondhand outlet, Second Chance functions as an active fundraising arm for a specific local recovery mission, so a routine shopping trip for clothing or household goods doubles as direct support for women going through recovery in the Fraser Valley.
Like most community thrift operations, Second Chance stocks a broad general mix of donated clothing and household items, but it has drawn some practical lines around what it can take in. Furniture is not accepted, largely due to space constraints at the Clearbrook location, and for safety compliance reasons the store also does not accept car seats, booster seats, high chairs, or cribs, items that carry expiration dates and recall risks that make resale difficult for any thrift operation to manage responsibly. Shoppers and donors alike benefit from knowing those boundaries up front, since it means the sales floor stays focused on clothing and general household goods that can be reliably resold.
Abbotsford sits at the heart of the Fraser Valley, and Clearbrook Industrial Park in particular has become home to a mix of light industrial businesses and community-serving nonprofits, making Second Chance a practical stop for locals already running errands in that part of the city. Donors dropping off bags of clothing during the dedicated Tuesday-to-Saturday donation window can be confident their contributions are funding a specific, named local program rather than disappearing into a large, faceless organization’s general fund.
For anyone in Abbotsford looking to shop affordably, donate used goods responsibly, or simply support a Fraser Valley charity with a clear and specific mission, Second Chance offers a straightforward way to do all three at once. LIFE’s Second Chance is a LIFE Recovery thrift store in Abbotsford’s Clearbrook Industrial Park, open six days a week for shopping and donations, with proceeds funding the organization’s recovery programs for women in the local community.
