 |
|
|
|
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Little Bargain Hunter: Four-year-old Melissa Meneses digs for treasures in the newly remodeled Thrift Box.
Thrift Box spent a half-million bucks to bring bargains to the Glen in style
Charity-run thrift store sends proceeds to Children's Hospital
By Jessica Lyons
The construction crew didn't leave until last Monday--after putting the finishing touches on a $500,000 remodel to the Thrift Box--but it was already business-as-usual at the secondhand store.
"Business hasn't skipped a beat," says Kim Haney, president of the volunteer organization that owns and operates the store. The Thrift Box donates all of its proceeds to the San Jose Auxiliary to Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University.
Although the store has been undergoing extensive remodeling for a year now, the Thrift Box only closed its doors for one 10-week period over the summer. During most of the construction, customers and volunteers alike braved dust, metal beams and disappearing walls to shop and work at the store, located at 1362 Lincoln Ave.
"On any given day you would show up and a wall that had been there yesterday would be gone, or the bathroom would be in a different place," Haney says. "We got to the point where we were just dumping boxes out front to have a place to put them. But the customers loved it. They were all rummaging through the boxes, looking for bargains."
The renovation involved adding a second level, an elevator and direct access to the store's back room, as well as remodeling the interior. The construction increased the main-level selling floor by 30 percent--about 1,000 square feet.
Despite the fact that it never really closed, the Thrift Box is hosting a grand reopening party on Saturday, March 20, to show off its new interior, and to thank donors for their contributions.
"We have a list of so many people we need to thank for supporting us," Haney says. "That's what the party is for."
Funding for the renovation came primarily from two grants, one for $225,000 and one for $167,3000, both from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. In addition to the grants, the San Jose Auxiliary raised $87,000 from its members. Ninety-six percent of the auxiliary's 150 active members donated money, as did a vast majority of its 85 sustaining members--volunteers who have been part of the organization for 10 or more years. Members' donations ranged from $5 to $5,000.
"When we started the fundraising process, it was very important that we had the full support of our members," Haney said. "We sent out a solicitation letters saying 'We don't care how much you donate, we just need the percentage of donors to be high.'"
The new second floor is now being used partially as a work and storage space for the store's annual Pumpkin Patch. Employees store, among other items, glassware, jewelry and rare books for the annual October fundraiser, and have a space to make crafts. Until now, the Thrift Box has used volunteer's houses and warehouse space for that purpose. The upstairs area also is being used to sort and store clothes and knick-knacks.
"We had this wonderful, old cavernous theater with lots of space, but we were getting squeezed out by all the donations," Haney said.
Prior to being the Thrift Box, the store was a theater. Until the remodeling, people making donations had to walk down a flight of stairs and then up another to reach the back room and drop off items. Now the staircase has been filled with concrete to allow donors direct access to the store's back room from the street.
Although it didn't become a reality until January of '97, remodeling the 60-plus-year-old building has been a 15-year dream for Jody Meggs, project manager of the San Jose Auxiliary. "I'm walking around with stars in my eyes," she said. "It takes my breath away. I look at it and I can't believe it actually happened. When I look at it I just want to hug myself. It's almost like having a baby, the wonder of the whole thing."
The remodeling was worth the wait, customers say. "It looks really nice," said Dianne Williams, 53, a Campbell resident who has been shopping at the Thrift Box for five years. "It's so much bigger and easier to get around in here now. I go to a lot of thrift shops, but this one is the best."
Martha Ann Sketchley, 53, moved to Willow Glen two months ago and has been a loyal customer ever since. She frequents the store at least every other day, and today she's wearing a cream-colored sweater she bought for $1.35 yesterday.
"This is the only store in the world I shop at," she said. "If you want to find Nordstrom quality for 35 cents, this is where you shop. If you don't shop here, you're missing out."
|
|
|
|
|
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
