Kiwanis Thrift Shop filled with laughter, benefits kids

BLACK MOUNTAIN – Jim Parsons is overworked and underpaid but he couldn't be happier. As co-manager of the Kiwanis Thrift Shop in Black Mountain, Parsons, 84, volunteers at the store, which supports local children's charities, 15 to 20 hours a week.

When he's not running the cash register, he's trying out his jokes on the customers or harmlessly flirting with the women who organize the inventory in the back. "People say I should be a stand-up comedian, but I always tell them my problem is standing up," said Parsons, whose cheesy one-liner jokes kept me laughing throughout the afternoon as I finished up a long week of work volunteering at the Thrift Shop last Friday.

If you can't tell, Parsons is a bit of a ham. He's a great guy to volunteer with; he relentlessly tries to make you smile. "I've been here years and I still don't know the difference between slacks and capris," he said upon meeting me.

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