New store opens inside The Villages, serving nursing home residents for free

Provided photos: Sandy Flugel and her son Eric, the administrator of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, are shown at the new store inside the nursing home on Route 31 in Albion.

ALBION – A store has opened inside The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center making new and gently used items available to residents for free.

Sandy’s Boutique opened last week with a variety of clothing, jewelry, hats, shoes, and other items to put around their rooms. Residents enjoy shopping there and picking out items at no charge.

Donations are welcome from the community, with the current greatest need slip-on footwear, men’s pull-on pants, summer bonnet-style hats and baseball caps.

People can drop off donations at the front door. If those donated items aren’t needed, they will be passed along to other agencies such as Community Action, the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern and the PAWS animal shelter, as well as churches.

Eric Flugel, the nursing home’s administrator, had the idea for the store, and received lots of help from family members and friends to bring it to reality.

Eric’s daughter Autumn, mother Sandra, nieces Liana and Alayna Flugel, aunt Sherry and Madison Watts all helped get the store set up.  Other friends and cousins who joined the effort included Felicia Beach, Chantee Johnson, Melissa Olles, Ryan Olles, Sean Yantz, Michelle Ashton, Cass Dezarn, Lindsey Dezarn, niece Madeline Tabor, along with Jennifer Watts, Eli Howard, Christina Tilbe and Eric’s father Ray Flugel.

The new store is named Sandy’s Boutique and opened last week.