BREWER, Maine — A new thrift shop opens this month in Brewer with the mission of “turning deals into meals” by raising funds for the Brewer Area Food Pantry, according to the nonprofit organization opening the store.
Bonnie’s Bargain Basement will be located below the Brewer Area Food Pantry, 222 North Main St. in Brewer. The effort is being launched by OHI, a Hermon-based nonprofit that provides services and support to adults with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.
“While we want the thrift shop to be self-sustaining, a major goal is to cover expenses of operating the food pantry, as well as to close the gap of purchasing food that donations don’t cover,” said Trudy Darling, coordinator for Bonnie’s Bargain Basement. “No mistake though, we also want people in Brewer and the surrounding area to find it’s a terrific store to get great deals.”
The shop will deal in all sorts of goods selling donated items at low prices, but it will not accept donations of mattresses, tube televisions, cribs or car seats. The store also is trying to stay away from large furniture, such as couches and entertainment centers, because they can be difficult to sell and take up a lot of display and storage space, according to Darling.
Bonnie’s Bargain Basement has a range of clothing, toys, kitchen wares, purses, some furniture and other assorted knick-knacks.
The grand opening ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28. The store’s hours will be 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The store is holding it’s “soft opening” this week and already is welcoming customers and donations.
Because its mission is to provide support for the food pantry’s operations, the thrift store will rely heavily on volunteer staff to keep down operating expenses, according to OHI. People interested in volunteering at the store or donating goods should call Darling at 989-3200 or email tdarling@ohimaine.org.
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