The mother-daughter team of Good Deed Goods, located inside Lee\u2019s Inlet Apothecary in Murrells Inlet, is mother, Melissa Lee, and her daughter Mary Emily (Mel) Lee Healy. The two women talked with Sasee about the importance of family ties, and how they are carrying on the traditions passed down through the generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth sides of our family owned and operated family businesses and that\u2019s a big part of our lives,\u201d Melissa began. Her parents owned Southside Pharmacy in Myrtle Beach. \u201cBeing a part of a family pharmacy helped us develop Lee\u2019s Inlet Apothecary. Southside had a soda fountain, similar to ours, and we even used the same red stools. More importantly, it\u2019s the way we treat our customers.\u201d Growing up, Melissa worked in the front of the store. When her father built his larger store, well before any of the big box chains came to our area, the store sold everything from makeup and perfume to floats and suntan oil.<\/p>\n
\u201cSouthside Pharmacy was a place where the community gathered,\u201d Melissa remembered. \u201cMy husband Willie\u2019s parents shopped with us, and we ate at their seafood restaurant (Wallace Lee\u2019s Seafood) every Friday night as a family.\u201d Continuing, Melissa told me that her husband, Willie interned with her dad in college, and that\u2019s how they started dating! \u201cMy dad pierced baby\u2019s ears \u2013 they would come in at a week old to get them done. And, I remember one time he got a fiddler crab out of a boy\u2019s curly hair…so many fun memories.\u201d Laughing, Melissa told me she always asked to work on the night the lifeguards would come in to cash their paychecks. \u201cI got to see a lot of cute guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mel spoke up with her memories of Lee\u2019s Inlet Apothecary. \u201cI was maybe 11 or 12 when the pharmacy opened. I was so excited to work behind the soda fountain.\u201d Mel did work in the soda fountain and in every aspect of the store except the pharmacy. \u201cI grew up here \u2013 all of my siblings did. When we were sick, my parents would put a pallet in the back of the pharmacy, and we would sleep while Mom and Dad worked.\u201d Mel especially loved making floats and ice cream sodas for customers. \u201cThey always got excited because they couldn\u2019t find them elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
By the time she reached 8th or 9th grade, Mel was going with her mom to market. \u201cI would tag along and help her choose gifts, and as I got older it was good to have someone to brainstorm with about the best things to buy.\u201d A year and a half ago, Mel came on board full time.<\/p>\n
Mel shared how the idea for Good Deed Goods came about \u2013 she and her mom were at market while Willie and Mel\u2019s brothers were on a church mission trip. \u201cWe were talking about the contrast in what we were doing, and Mom came up with the idea for Good Deed Goods. Now we give back 10% of every gift sold to our charity partners.\u201d The charities change every six months, and there is one local, one national and one international organization. The mother-daughter team also purchases many gift items that already give back a portion of their proceeds. \u201cOur give back mission is so important to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked Melissa to talk about the changes brought about by COVID-19. \u201cWhen the quarantine first came down the pipe, about four weeks ago, we decided to stop allowing customers inside the store, and go totally curbside. In times of crisis our focus immediately shifts to the pharmacy, we must make sure people get their medicines.\u201d The pharmacy offers curbside pick-up or free delivery for its customers. \u201cIt\u2019s weird to not have people in the store, and we miss seeing our customers who are also our friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past couple of weeks, we\u2019ve been able to focus on the gifts again. We\u2019re promoting curbside pickup for purchases and have even shipped gifts.\u201d Melissa continued, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s so important to allow people to buy a Mother\u2019s Day gift or a birthday gift, even if they have to leave it on the doorstep of the recipient. It gives some normalcy, and giving gifts is a part of the beauty of living. We can have a life within this chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mel has been posting Mother\u2019s Day gift ideas on Instagram and Facebook. \u201cIf anyone is interested, they can call or direct message us on social media. They can pick it up curbside or we\u2019ll deliver it. We gift wrap as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Good Deed Goods, located inside Lee\u2019s Inlet Apothecary, is open from 9am-6pm, Monday-Friday, and 9am-2pm on Saturday. Call 843-651-7979 and ask for Mel or Melissa. They\u2019re happy to be your personal shopper for Mother\u2019s Day or other occasion. Watch for frequent updates on Facebook and Instagram – @gooddeedgoods.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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