18 June 2012

The Salvation Army will open its newest Thrift Store this weekend in Lewiston, ID, at 1806 21st Street, in the former Rex stereo and appliance building.

Opening weekend festivities will be held on Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23. The store will open at 9am both days. As always, the store will be stocked with furniture, clothing, and household merchandise at affordable prices. A limited number of new pillow-top mattress sets (queen, full, and twin, with foundations) will be available, and a selection of affordable new couches and love seats will be sold. All merchandise is sold on a first-come, first-served, basis.

To celebrate the grand opening, all shoppers can enter to win the grand prize of a new pillow-top mattress and foundation set (choice of queen, full, or twin). No purchase is necessary, and one entry per shopper per day; winner will be drawn on Saturday evening, and winner need not be present. See entry form at store for complete rules and details.

The new building nearly doubles the space for organizing, storage and sales. Most of the new building's 12,000 sq feet will be dedicated to sales; the former store on East Main Street had about 5,500 sq feet for sales. The store on East Main Street closed on Thursday, June 14.

"We simply outgrew our previous location," explained Captain Ralph Guthrie, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army in Lewiston. "The sales from our thrift store in Lewiston help fund our services in the Lewis-Clark Valley. With more space, we can sell more merchandise - and we can fund more programs to help more people."

The new store is prominently located on 21st Street, near The Salvation Army's new Lewiston Corps headquarters on 13th Avenue (at the corner of 21st Street). The organization recently acquired and renovated Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, and now offers its programs and services from that building.

The Lewiston Thrift Store will continue to employ its ten employees at the new location, including Manager Chris Flerchinger and Assistant Manager Sheryl Johnson. Three additional employees were hired to help manage increased shopping and donations. The store is open Monday through Friday, 9am - 6:30pm; and Saturday, 9am - 5pm (donations are accepted M-F 9am - 5:30pm; Saturday 9am - 4:30pm). The store is closed on Sundays.

The Thrift Store will continue to help fund The Salvation Army programs in Lewis-Clark Valley, including emergency assistance for food, rent and utility bills, and after-school homework tutoring. Free dinner is offered every weekday; food bank is available to those who qualify. Holiday programs include holiday meals, food baskets, and toy donations. Approximately 90% of the store's income stays in the Lewis-Clark Valley - used to fund programs and services provided by The Salvation Army to the community. The balance of funding comes from monetary donations from the general public.

The Salvation Army Lewiston Corps has provided services to needy members of the greater Lewis-Clark Valley since 1896. In 2011, more than 6,600 people were helped by the Lewiston Corps. Donations are necessary for The Salvation Army to continue offering the services in Lewiston. Donations can be made in person at the Corps or online here.