By Jess Ommen

A Holliston thrift store gives new meaning to paying it forward by raising money for cancer research while offering residents an affordable, sustainable shopping option and a space for building community spirit and hope. 

The local shop has become a place where shoppers and donors share memories of their loved ones.

My Mother My Friend, is a non-profit, woman-owned retail thrift store offering clothing, jewelry, knickknacks, glassware and more. All proceeds support cancer research through the American Cancer Society Research Fund, a cause that is near and dear to shop owner Kathy Murphy McKenna, who lost her mother to pancreatic cancer in 1989. 

“I wanted to do something to dedicate the rest of my life to my mom. So, this thrift store is kind of the brainchild,” McKenna explains. 

McKenna is a Holliston resident of 25 years and serves on the Board of Directors for the Holliston Lions Club. This year, she was honored as a recipient of the Select Board’s 2026 Humanitarian Awards, for her compassion and dedication to the Holliston community. 

Fellow Lions member and Selectman, Damon Dimick, presented the award, “Tonight, I am honoring someone who shows us what it looks like to take one of life’s hardest experiences and turn it into something generous and kind and giving.”

“All of us experience loss at some point. And we carry that differently. Some of us compartmentalize it; some of us hold it quietly and rebuild slowly; and a few, a very very few, manage to take that pain and love and memory and channel it outward towards helping other people. Kathy McKenna is one of these rare people,” Damon explained. 

McKenna said she wanted the store to honor her mother, Joyce Alice Murphy, but it has since turned into so much more – it has turned into a way to honor the community. 

“Many people say it’s for others, but it’s changed my heart, too,” McKenna says. “And my mom, I’m sure, knows about it.”

McKenna chose to open a thrift shop because she loves thrifting and knew some people would want to donate belongings of loved ones who may have also been lost to cancer, something that has held true since she opened her doors in October. 

“People tell me the stories, like ‘Oh this used to be my mom’s, and I think someone else would love that’,” says McKenna, “They tell me that many times, it is items from loved ones who have also succumbed to cancer. So, it is this incredible intimate little shop that I think brings comfort to those that drop things off.”

The shop is a safe place where you can share your story of survival or loss and honor it in a meaningful way. Inside the shop, McKenna has a “Wall of Heroes” dedicated to cancer survivors and anyone currently undergoing treatment. She also invites the public to share their memories of deceased loved ones on the “Wall of Fame” where her own mother’s name is inscribed at the center.

During the Humanitarian Awards Ceremony on December 8th, Dimick recognized that My Mother My Friend is “more than a store, more than a nonprofit that raises funds for the American Cancer Society. It’s a living expression of resilience and the kind of signal that tells us how we can take profound grief and turn it into something that helps the world light up just a little bit more.” He said it is a place where “kindness is the true currency.”

My Mother My Friend is located at 358 Woodland Street in Holliston. Business hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday. 

Donations of clothing, small items and knick-knacks are accepted throughout the week during business hours or can be dropped off in the recycling bin located on the rocking chair in front of the shop. Large items, furniture, pillows, and toys are not accepted at this time. Monetary donations are also accepted during business hours. Cash, Venmo, credit card, and Apple Pay are accepted.