Montgomery County non-profit thrift store expanding - WSLS 10 NBC in Roanoke/Lynchburg Va
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Update: 2:00 p.m.
Volunteers at Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program don't mind lifting and loading items into the back of trucks. The organization is relocating and expanding their thrift store. Father Alex Darby is a local priest, whose extended family opened the shop 38 years ago.
"This is our fourth building and it's grown in size every time," said Darby.
In the last year, store leaders say they have overcome an identity crisis, which led to a sales explosion. Margie Vitale, store manager, says sales are up around $10,000 and they need more space for donations.
"People think that we're a county program, and that we're only here for poor people, and while part of that is true, we're not just here for poor people. We sell, and the money that we make, we're able to help," said Vitale.
MCEAP is nearly doubling their square-footage from the old facility which gives volunteers more space to work, and customers more space to shop for things like shoes and clothes.
These are items that typically sell for no more than $2 a piece. They are some of the lowest prices around. About $4,000 a week in average revenue is helping low-income families in the area.
"I think we're going to be able to reach out to people I the Radford community as well. I mean we don't just sell to people in Montgomery County. We have very faithful customers that come all the way from Floyd," said Vitale.
Volunteers plan to finish moving items out of the old store later this week. They hope most of their new space will fill up with donations and shoppers. The store will have a grand re-opening on Friday.
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A non-profit thrift store in Montgomery County is relocating and expanding after management says sales have exploded over the past year.
Volunteers at MCEAP, or the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program's thrift store helped load items into the back of a moving truck Tuesday morning.
They are only moving about a tenth of a mile away to Radford Street in Christiansburg, but they are nearly doubling their square footage.
Leaders say more people are finding out the store is open to anyone, and that revenue goes to help low income families.
Leaders at MCEAP say they are able to put around $4,000 a week from sales, back into the community to help people in immediate need.
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