Safari Seconds Thrift Store in San Diego's College Area is the retail arm of the Alliance for African Assistance, a nonprofit founded in 1989 by Walter Lam—himself a refugee—to resettle and support San Diego's growing refugee population. The store at 6533 El Cajon Blvd in the 92115 ZIP sells donated clothing, furniture, mattress sets, small appliances, household goods, and books, with all profits cycling back into the Alliance's resettlement programs. Each year the operation provides furniture and essential household items to approximately 1,000 newly arrived individuals and families at no cost, covering the gap between arrival and self-sufficiency. The El Cajon Boulevard corridor near SDSU gives Safari Seconds a foot-traffic mix of students, faculty, and neighborhood residents who treat the racks as a first stop for apartment furnishing and wardrobe building on a budget. San Diego streetwear shoppers looking for new-production apparel on the same corridor can browse Cali Wear SD, which stocks locally designed graphic tees and accessories a few blocks east. Beyond retail, Safari Seconds functions as an on-the-job training site where refugees gain customer-service, inventory-management, and point-of-sale experience in a real retail environment before transitioning to outside employment. The Alliance's main office operates from 5952 El Cajon Blvd in the same 92115 ZIP, coordinating immigration services, employment assistance, financial literacy programs, and CalFresh enrollment alongside the thrift store's regular operations. Donations are accepted during store hours with an itemized tax-deductible receipt issued at drop-off. Shoppers who purchase vintage or delicate garments from the racks can have them cleaned at Hy Cleaners farther up El Cajon Blvd in the same College Area stretch. The thrift floor rotates stock frequently enough that repeat visits a week apart typically surface new inventory across every department, from kitchenware and bedding to coats and denim.