Yellow Brick Road Benefit Shop
26338 A Carmel Rancho Lane, Carmel (831) 626-8480, yellowbrickroadbenefitshop.org
Back in 1988, the average cost of a new house in the U.S. was $91,600, average rent was $420 a month, gas was 91 cents a gallon and a dozen eggs cost 65 cents. The average income: $24,450. Those at the bottom of the economic scale struggled to afford housing, gas and eggs, as amazingly low those prices sound today. The people of Carmel Presbyterian Church wanted to help, so they started collecting gently used clothing for those in need. That effort evolved into what is today the Yellow Brick Road Benefit Shop, a treasure trove of used items that span three stores in the Carmel Rancho Shopping Center. There’s the main shop with clothing, jewelry, kitchen gadgets, home goods and more; a used book shop; and a furniture and art store. The proceeds are used to award grants to local nonprofits – in January and February of this year alone, the church distributed more than $33,500 grants. The total distributed since 1988 is more than $6.2 million – or $2.9 million in 1988 dollars.