Those who are facing a generational change for their Second Hand and are unsure of the way forward, as well as those who want to get help to start a new Second Hand store in their locality, are welcome to contact me, says Patrik Fållsten, operations manager for Heart Second Hand. To create natural meeting places for people in exclusion and at the same time finance social centers and support homes, Heart of Evangelism runs three Second Hand shops that are places for community, job training and restoration.

The shop in Haninge started in October 2021 and a large part of the work has been social work. Together with the volunteers, there are those who have community service, have job training from the Employment Service, come from treatment homes with a substance abuse background or are placed there by the municipality. .

Heart Second Hand also has shops in Kungälv, where the Pentecostal church handed over its shop a few years ago, and a shop in Klädesholmen, Tjörn.

- "We have several concrete examples here in Handen of how people have come out of addiction," says Patrik Fållsten.

Heart's second-hand shops don't just help people to have a functioning working life and a normal everyday life. All surpluses also go to the Heart Center in Stockholm and to Barmhärtighetens hus, a supportive home in Östervåla for young women who are helped out of a destructive lifestyle. 

The secondhand shop contributes in a multiple sense to giving both people and things a second chance.

- The goal is to start up more Second Hand stores around Sweden. The purpose is to be a positive force in society and at the same time generate money for our rehabilitation work to help people out of gang crime, drugs and mental illness, says Patrik Fållsten,

- Those who are facing a generational change for their Second Hand and are unsure of the way forward or if you want to do something similar to Klädesholmen and get help to maybe start a new Second Hand store in your town, you are welcome to contact me at patrik@heartofevangelism.com, he adds.

Text & photo: Ruben Agnarsson