Happy Gray Saline

When Whitney Lee steps into Happy Gray, it feels less like walking into a resale shop and more like coming home. Worship music drifts through the air, staff greet customers by name, and there’s an unmistakable sense of joy. But for Whitney, now Chief Financial Officer of Union Rescue Mission, this place represents more than thrifted treasures. It represents a second chance at life.

The name “Happy Gray” comes from the familiar lyric, “You make me happy when skies are gray.” It’s a fitting title for a shop designed to bring a little sunshine to everyone who walks through the door, from shoppers and donors to the women and children whose lives are transformed through the mission Happy Gray supports.

“Happy Gray isn’t just a store,” Whitney says. “It’s a ministry. People come to shop, take a break from their day, even pray with us. And every purchase directly benefits women and children who are rebuilding their lives.”

The Saline County store opened in 2019, following the success of the first Happy Gray location in Sherwood. Both shops fund Dorcas House, the women’s facility of Union Rescue Mission, where mothers and children find healing from domestic violence, addiction, and homelessness.

For Whitney, the mission is personal. Six years ago, she walked through the doors of Dorcas House broken and searching for hope. “Those nine months were some of the most healing, life-changing days of my life,” she recalls. “I surrendered everything to Jesus and found true freedom.”

After completing the program, Whitney became manager of a Happy Gray store, then Director of Retail Services. “God later called me to serve in the Marketing/Development role at Union Rescue Mission where I had the opportunity to share the wonderful work happening at Dorcas House, which is completely funded by Happy Gray,” she says. “This role gave me a chance to get out in the community to share with people about ways to get involved and be a part of the healing and life change happening every day.”

Along the way, she’s seen firsthand how every donation and every purchase helps women step into a new future. Whitney now serves as CFO and shares that she feels “incredibly blessed that God has called me to serve in such a meaningful capacity.”

“Much of our staff has been through the program themselves,” she explains. “They’re not just learning job skills, they’re discovering who they are in Christ. And when clients graduate, they’re ready to stand on their own two feet.”

Happy Gray’s impact goes beyond funding. Women in the recovery program work in the stores to gain real-world experience. They can shop for free to prepare for job interviews, and when graduates move into their own homes, Happy Gray helps furnish them, turning empty spaces into welcoming places.

Union Rescue Mission has been serving Arkansas since 1946, with Dorcas House opening in 1982 to specifically help women and children. In 1954, the Pulaski County Baptist Association (PCBA) took over the responsibility of sponsoring the mission. Several months later, the owners of the old Glenn Hotel asked the mission to relocate and a storage building owned by Mr. J.P. Faucette was leased at 115 Maples Street in North Little Rock. 

Come October of 1956, the PCBA deemed the location unsuitable and the mission closed. The following October, Purl Stockton, Frank Shamburger, Mayor Pratt Remmel, and Rev. Guy Wilson reopened the mission with its present name, Union Rescue Mission, at what is now 2921 Springer Boulevard. The organization was formally incorporated when 38 members of the community successfully petitioned the Pulaski County Circuit Court. 

Today, the 2921 Springer Boulevard facility remains in use as part of the organization’s Recovery Program. Union Rescue Mission operates ministries in Little Rock and serves clients from virtually every county in Arkansas and several surrounding states.

The Dorcas House residential recovery program offers housing, counseling, parenting classes, financial training, and an unshakable foundation of faith. It’s completely free of charge, thanks to generous donors and the support of Happy Gray customers.

Whitney says the transformation she witnesses daily never loses its wonder. “We see women come to us broken and hopeless, and then we watch God restore their lives. They find sobriety, reunite with their children, rebuild relationships, and discover their worth. It’s nothing short of miraculous.”

The mission operates almost entirely on donations, and summers often bring financial challenges. But Whitney trusts that the community will continue to rally behind Happy Gray and Dorcas House. “When you shop at Happy Gray, you’re not just finding a bargain, you’re saving lives. You’re giving a mom the chance to raise her children in a safe, loving home. You’re investing in generations.”

For Whitney, that message is more than a talking point. It’s her story. And it’s the story of countless women who’ve walked through the doors of Dorcas House, found healing, and discovered that even in life’s grayest skies, joy can break through.