Sue Mello of Rochester isn't just a small business owner trying to turn a profit, she's a woman on a mission to help mothers and children.

When Mello opened 2 Times Too Thrifts & Gifts at 170 Main Street in Wareham last spring, she had more in mind for the location than an average thrift store.

The place has been geared toward providing affordable clothes and supplies to moms and kids since it opened, but now it's a mini resource center where moms can change diapers, nurse, or just let the kids play while they shop.

"When I was living in Wareham, I became a single parent," Mello says. "Without the generosity of Wareham people I would not have been able to keep a roof over my head. I always said I'd give back."

She's off to a great start.

In the store's activity room there in a changing table, a comfy chair for nursing, clean bottles and sippy cups, a television, and a box of toys and art supplies to keep the kids entertained and give mom a chance to take care of business.

"The only thing I don't have is diapers," Mello said.

But she's working on it.

Near the entrance of the diaper changing/nursing/playroom is a table with information about Mass Health, WIC, a domestic violence crisis center, and Wareham's Turning Point Resource Center.

The store's unofficial slogan is "from tummy to teen," and true to those words, she has maternity clothes, baby and toddler clothes and teen sized clothing. There's even a "treasure chest" from which kids can pick a free toy.

"That way, every kid gets to get something," Mello explained.

Mello credits family friend Dr. David Adelstein with helping to get the store off the ground.

"He actually funded the business," said Mello. "We always joke that I was the brains and he was the brawn."

Adelstein says that Mello and her husband Jeff impressed him with their plan, and he was happy to lend a hand.

"She had a great idea," say Adelstein. "She came to me with a really good business proposal."

The store isn't the most spacious place, but with the pink and purple paint job, the readily available toys, the nursing/diaper changing room and the welcoming atmosphere, it has a warm and homey feeling that money can't buy.

"They take something that looks like nothing," Adelstein says, "and they turn it into something beautiful."