A small business in Columbia is stepping into a role traditionally filled by clinics and nonprofits amid constant changes in South Carolina reproductive health policy.

At Strange Times Vintage, racks of worn sweaters and broken-in denim line the walls in what one customer described as an “organized mess in a good way.” The store smells faintly of old fabric and incense. But what people might not know is what they can find in their dressing room: free Plan B.

Strange Times opened its Pendleton Street location in August 2023 near the University of South Carolina. One of the two owners, Candace Sharpe, had always imagined running a vintage shop. After years working in accounting, Sharpe began selling vintage clothing as a side hustle during the pandemic, popping up at local markets like Soda City Market and Punk Flea. A physical storefront in the end both offered stability.

“You can kind of get rained out of markets sometimes,” Sharpe said. “I wasn’t selling online, so I was like, well, a physical location, I wouldn’t get rained out of.”

What the store owners did not plan for was the store becoming a resource point.

“That’s kind of my personality anyway,” Sharpe said. “I’m bad at staying in one lane. I’m really involved in my community anyway, and I love volunteering for stuff. So, I like to use this platform that I have to bring awareness, but also be a space where people can come and talk.”

When South Carolina’s six-week abortion ban took effect in May 2023, it gave way to heightened uncertainty around reproductive health access. Plan B had limited supplies at typical pharmacies. After seeing places like NoMa Warehouse distributing free emergency contraceptives, Sharpe said Strange Times was immediately inspired and wanted to do something similar. The store began distributing free Plan B through a partnership with the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, which supplies the “morning after” chemical abortion medication.

“I was like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s amazing. I love this,’” Sharpe said. “And then when we started the store, (the Palmetto State Abortion Fund) were like, ‘Hey, we can supply these for you.’ And I was like, I’m in the perfect spot to give them out.”

Emergency contraception remains legal in South Carolina without a prescription or age requirement, according to the state Department of Public Health. But access to the $50 per dose medication has remained a contentious point for the state.

The South Carolina House on Feb. 4 gave second-reading approval to a bill that would classify the abortion medications mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled substances, that must be prescribed by a doctor in the first six weeks of a pregnancy. The bill has since moved to the Senate.

From Sharpe’s perspective, offering Plan B, which must be taken within 72 hours of a sexual encounter, is less about politics and more about meeting a need.

“People already see the store as a safe space,” Sharpe said.

Strange Times’ community involvement goes beyond just reproductive health. Sharpe in early 2025 began promoting and sponsoring “Self Defense for Strange Times,” a pay-what-you-can weekly class taught by WellWithin Martial Arts at its studio. Those classes, while not held inside the store, are advertised through its social media accounts and branded under its name. 

“It wasn’t necessarily supposed to be store-involved,” Sharpe said. “But I’ve always put everything into one spot.”

Sharpe said by attaching the store’s name to the classes, customers understand what to expect.

“If I’m putting my name on it, they’re like, ‘Oh, so it’s probably queer-friendly,’” Sharpe said.

Sharpe said taking visible stances can both help and hurt business.

“I definitely get a lot of business from people seeing me do things in the community,” Sharpe said. The store is listed on queer business resource pages, and the owners brand intentionally so “the people who want to come here can find us.”

At the same time, she’s aware not everyone agrees with that approach.

“I don’t think that the people who don’t want to come here find me unless they’re walking by and I can, you know, hear mumbles,” Sharpe said, laughing. “And if they want to come in here, … we can argue.”

Angelica Dolfini, a shopper visiting the USC campus from New York City, said the store stood out not only for its pricing and atmosphere, but also for its outreach efforts.

“Coming from NYC, where every ‘vintage’ store only sells clothes to make the most profit, it was refreshing to find a place that sold great pieces for very fair prices,” she said on an Instagram direct message.

She said she was surprised to learn about the free Plan B.

“I think it’s a great thing that even as a small store, they are still trying to involve themselves in the community and be of use to people around the store as more than just a place to buy clothes,” Dolfini said.

For her, the presence of emergency contraception pointed toward something broader.

“It creates a safe space,” she said.

Sharpe doesn’t describe the store as a replacement for clinics or nonprofits. Instead, Strange Times sees itself as a business with a platform that can bring community and provide support.

Sharpe said small businesses can use their platforms intentionally.

“It’s just using what you have,” Sharpe said.