Iola Area Chamber of Commerce staff and supporters feted new member Recycle Bargains, located at 111 ½ W. Madison Ave. The business is the latest venture of Christia Hill, a 1999 graduate of Iola High School and the daughter of former Iola fire chief Donald Leapheart.
Open Friday through Sunday, the store offers gently used items and offers consignment.
Christia and her husband Anthony, along with their three sons Israel, Isaiah and Isaac, live in Humboldt. With Anthony working at B&W Trailer Hitches, and Christia as the van driver for Allen County’s elderly, Recycle Bargains is a weekend passion project for the busy family.
The store also provides something of a homecoming for Christia, who prior to moving back to the area had been working in law enforcement in Lansing. “I just love the community here,” she told the Register. “Sure, there are a lot of things you can get in big cities, but there’s nothing like home.”
Hill mentioned the store is happy to help those in need, especially those escaping situations of domestic violence. The couple has already stepped up to sponsor free admission for children to the Iola and Humboldt municipal pools. And she has more ideas on the horizon. All in due time. Now that she’s back home, Christia sees a chance to, as she says, “follow in my father’s footsteps.”
