CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The Cannon Thrift Shop celebrated the expansion and redesign of the shop with a ribbon cutting, here, Nov. 2. The Cannon Thrift Shop is managed and operated by the Cannon Spouses Club.
The mission of the Cannon Spouses' Club is to increase the morale and welfare of Cannon AFB military spouses and local communities through meaningful and consistent morale and fundraising events.
Melissa Rivera, president of the CSC, was joined by U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Johnston, commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing, Ms. Ernie Kos, executive director of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, distinguished members of the community, and members of the CSC to cut the ribbon on the redesigned facility.
Johnston provided comments reinforcing the importance of the Cannon Thrift Shop and emphasized the direct impact the shop has to Cannon AFB members' quality of life.
Open since 2011, the thrift shop not only provides Air Commandos and their families with a place to purchase low-cost and second-hand clothes, toys, books, small kitchen appliances and much more – but the proceeds are donated back into the Cannon AFB community. Throughout 2024, proceeds earned at the thrift shop enabled the CSC to contribute more than $50K in welfare requests to both local and national organizations, and $29K in merit-based higher education scholarships to military dependents.
“We are very excited for the community,” said Rivera. “Not only are we able to provide a better shopping experience, but we are also able to better meet the needs of our community as we donate items we aren’t able to sell to other organizations like the Light House, Matt 25, and the local school district.”
Organizations who received funds in 2024 from the CSC were: Clovis High School teams and organizations, Portales Children’s Home, the Airman’s Attic Food Pantry, Operation Phoenix Outdoors, Special Needs Prom Night, the 27 SOW Back to School event, and the Fisher House – to name a few.
The Cannon Thrift Shop has an ongoing $5 bag sale, and every week is marked by additional sales.
Anyone with base access can shop at the Cannon Thrift Shop. It is located in Building 76, on the corner of Arnold Ave. and Eagle Claw Blvd, near the Base Exchange. The shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All military spouses located in the vicinity of Cannon AFB, including spouses of active-duty members, reservists, base-affiliated civilians and retirees of all ranks can become a member of the Cannon Spouses' Club. A spouse can join the CSC at the following website: cannonspousesclub.org or by attending one of the CSC monthly social events. The CSC also has a Facebook page located here: (4) Facebook.
“We are in such a unique position here at Cannon,” said Rivera. “With being more remote than some other bases, we really have the opportunity to create our own community where people feel welcomed, involved, and included. The CSC is not only a social opportunity to make lifelong friendships for the hard days that the military lifestyle brings, but we also really invest in giving back – and that builds morale too.”