The Lopez Thrift Store has finally found its forever home. After years of renting real estate, the organization has moved into its own building.

The staff, needless to say, are delighted. “We’re ecstatic, we’ve been waiting so long and to have your own place it’s so wonderful,” say Maria Armstrong, Thrift Store volunteer.

The store became a non-profit in 1982 and moved from the water tower in central Lopez village, to the store on Weeks Point Way.

The new building stands on the corner of Eads Lane and Tower Road. Although the process of fundraising and procuring the property took some years, the actual construction of the property moved fairly quickly. “The ground breaking was a year ago,” says Board President Bruce Johnson. “We had a lot of people helping, there has always just been a lot of enthusiasm, so I can’t really identify a setback.”

The building not only provides the organization with a permanent home, but increases its working space tremendously. Johnson estimates that the floor space of the store is triple what it was in the previous location. And that is only the retail portion of the property.

Once, the Thrift Store had to use storage units to hold all its inventory. Now, not only does the new space provide a whole floor of storage, but also a sorting room, a secure drop off point, a bathroom and a dumbwaiter. “It’s the only elevator on Lopez,” jokes Armstrong.

The store’s inventory was moved to the new location on July 16, and on the 19th they opened their doors to the public. “The opening day was a record day for us, we had three or four people working when usually it’s just the one volunteer,” says Johnson. He says that, although part of the increase in revenue has to do with the tourist season, the store has a consistent patronage from locals, “We have a lot of regulars, year around it stays pretty steady. This is the same stuff we had in the other store, but the environment makes it more appealing, the retail area is really cool.”

Johnson says that a general increase in revenue will be a direct benefit for the community. The Thrift Store is involved in philanthropic activities on Lopez, among other things running an annual March grant program for businesses, non-profits, or individuals in need of extra funds. With the extra space and more attractive environment of the new store upping sales, more grant money will be generated.