On Apache Boulevard between McClintock and Rural avenues in Tempe, Arizona, Gracie’s Thrift Store operates out of 1520 East Apache Boulevard as a retail ministry of Grace Community Church, whose main campus sits a short distance away on Southern Avenue. Rather than functioning as a standalone commercial thrift chain, Gracie’s exists as an extension of the church’s broader outreach work, with a sales floor built entirely from community donations of gently used clothing, furniture, and household items.
Shoppers can browse the store Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, a schedule generous enough to fit before or after work, on a lunch break, or as part of a weekend errand run along the busy Apache Boulevard corridor near Arizona State University. Because Tempe’s population includes a large rotating base of students, renters, and young families, the inventory at Gracie’s tends to see steady turnover, with clothing racks and furniture floor space refreshed as new donations arrive throughout the week.
The store’s identity as a ministry rather than a pure retail operation shapes how it runs day to day. Volunteers, not paid retail staff, handle much of the daily work, from processing incoming donations and scheduling pickups to arranging merchandise on the floor and helping customers at checkout. That volunteer backbone keeps overhead low and lets the store price household goods and clothing accessibly for a neighborhood that includes many budget conscious students and working families. Community members looking to donate gently used items can drop them off during the same Monday through Saturday hours the store keeps for shopping, making the donation process as convenient as the retail side.
Because Gracie’s operates under Grace Community Church’s ministry umbrella, its purpose extends beyond simple commerce. The thrift store gives church members and neighbors a tangible way to participate in outreach, whether by donating unwanted furniture, volunteering a few hours a week, or simply shopping in a way that supports the church’s broader community presence in Tempe. That structure mirrors a pattern seen in many faith based thrift operations, where the retail floor doubles as a low barrier entry point for people to connect with a congregation without any expectation of formal membership.
For Tempe residents furnishing a first apartment near campus, families looking for affordable clothing and household basics, or anyone simply drawn to the idea of a thrift store with a ministry mission behind it, Gracie’s offers a straightforward, community rooted shopping experience along one of Tempe’s busiest commercial corridors. Its location between two major cross streets keeps it accessible from several surrounding neighborhoods, and its six day a week schedule makes it easy to build into a regular routine rather than a once in a while stop. Gracie’s Thrift Store in Tempe is a church run thrift shop on Apache Boulevard offering affordable clothing, furniture, and household goods while supporting Grace Community Church’s community outreach ministry.
