About LCM

Our mission is People. Planet.

• PEOPLE: We’re addressing homelessness by generating financial support for our parent organization, VTC of California and its programs, including housing, case management, jobs training and support, and a food pantry.  At LCM, we have a jobs program for veterans coming through the VTC programs.

• PLANET: We’re addressing climate change by promoting, educating about, and celebrating reuse and by diverting waste from the landfill. In 2024, we diverted over a million pounds of usable material from the landfill.

Our Impact

We believe reuse is a critical strategy to extend the life of products, reduce waste in our landfills, and contribute to the circular economy. Since opening in 1991, the Last Chance Mercantile has been serving the community and the planet. The Last Chance Mercantile sells goods that have either been donated or salvaged. Annually, over 500 tons of material destined for the landfill are given a “last chance” when they are sold at the store. 

LCM continues to implement and expand ReGen’s vision statement: "Be a leader in environmentally sustainable waste management that fosters and inspires a zero-waste culture in our community."

Since 2021, when VTC relaunched LCM, we have employed 12 veterans and counting. The positive impact of your support of VTC's programs cannot be overstated - support through donations, volunteering, shopping, and donations are all critically important to our organization. Your support not only assists these veterans, it also benefits the community by offering wonderful and unique items at low prices, and helps our planet, by diverting waste and encouraging reuse. Last Chance Mercantile: People. Planet.

About LCM & VTC

The Last Chance Mercantile is a unique and favorite shopping experience. The store and yard offer an extensive inventory of one-of-a-kind items ranging from books to boats, scrap lumber to furniture, and clothing to household treasures. The LCM mission statement is simple yet profound: People. Planet. We achieve our mission both by creating jobs for vets and generating revenues for our parent company, Veterans Transition Center of California, and by diverting waste from the landfill and encouraging reuse.

The Veterans Transition Center took over operations of Last Chance in 2021. VTC serves to “empower veterans to move from crisis to self-sufficiency” through its many programs of support, including veteran employment at the Last Chance Mercantile. Additionally, sales at LCM help to fund VTC’s important work in the community.