Staying home, staying healthy – Beckley Register-Herald

Lindsay Jones uses Thursdays and Sundays to get caught up, restocking the store and preparing customer orders.

It was March 20 when she decided to close Edith’s Health & Specialty Store in downtown Lewisburg to foot traffic and limit the hours and days.

“We could see we needed to start doing things differently and make sure we were keeping everything in the store clean and sanitized,” she explained of her decision to move to curbside pickup only. “We feel like it’s our responsibility to practice social distancing.”

Edith’s has been a staple in the downtown business community since 1986, offering everything from vitamins and supplements to homeopathics, fresh beef, pork and eggs.

Jones purchased the store from original owner Edith McKinley in 2017. But she had been involved in much of the store’s history as she first began working as a teenager, 18 years earlier while still a senior in high school.

“I fell in love with pretty much everything about it,” Jones said of the store McKinley created. “I was just intrigued with health and wellness and medicinal herbs and everything Edith taught me.”

Jones didn’t know she would one day take over for McKinley, but she continued at the store while earning her business degree from Bluefield State College.

“It seemed like a good idea to get the degree and see where it would take me,” she said.

And when McKinley decided to retire, Jones stepped in.

“I loved so many things about it,” she said. “Helping people, guiding people to health and wellness is kind of my thing and just seeing where it takes them. It’s just such a community-driven place.”

And she said although the store has experienced a steep decline in sales over the past month, it is community support and its regular customer base, she said, that’s driving Edith’s through the period since COVID-19 shuttered many of the businesses surrounding her own.

Edith’s offers a variety of items including natural health and beauty products, grocery items, bulk dry goods, supplements, green household cleaning items and even some clothing items.

Jones said popcorn, raw local honey, maple syrup, jams and jellies are popular.

“It’s non-GMO,” she said of the products. “We stay natural and organic.”

She said local meat, which includes pork, ground beef, sausage, ribs, kabobs, beef steak and chicken, is produced without antibiotics and raised without hormones.

“And we have specialty diets if you’re gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan,” she said, adding the store offers an assortment of frozen and refrigerated products.

Jones said vitamins are always among the most popular items at the store, but she said they’ve been in high demand in recent weeks.

“Vitamin C, Vitamin D, colloidal silver,” she said, explaining customers are looking for supplements touted for strengthening the immune system.

Jones said she encourages anyone with questions or special requests to reach out, as she said she is grateful to have the opportunity to continue her work.

“We want everyone to stay safe, healthy and happy,” she said. “It’s always kind of been what we want for everyone.

“I think that is ringing especially true right now.

“And I appreciate everyone so much for their continued patience and support.”

Email: mjames@register-herald.com

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