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Nonprofit Tarpon Springs thrift store grows, moves

By KAMEEL STANLEY
Published June 2, 2007

TARPON SPRINGS - When the Shepherd Center opened its first thrift store in the late 1980s, people loved it.

Not much more than a hole in the wall, the shop at 101 W Court St. was a place to get everyday goods at bargain prices.

But as business expanded, space did not.

There was no place to display much more than clothes and knickknacks, and the dark, 800-square-foot shop couldn't hold all of the donations that steadily poured in.

"If you had half a dozen customers, it'd be crowded, " said Bill Vasiliou, the center's executive director. "Half of our sales were being sold on the sidewalk."

In fact, the organization was paying about $600 per month to maintain three storage units full of overflow items.

Starting today, all of that will change.

The nonprofit group that serves as a safety net for North Pinellas' homeless is unveiling its new downtown thrift store at a grand opening from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 875 S Pinellas Ave. in the Winn-Dixie plaza.

The store is more than 16 times bigger than the original, at 13, 000 square feet.

Volunteers spent the past 10 weeks beautifying the place, mopping floors, hanging shelves and putting a fresh coat of white paint on the walls.

The space features mirrors, benches and two large dressing rooms. There's enough room for all of the donations - everything from socks to refrigerators - to be sorted and stored, plus a few offices for staff.

"It just gives me goose bumps to talk about it, " said Cindy Chapman, floor supervisor. "It's just beautiful. It looks like a real store."

The thrift shop is an integral part of the community and the nonprofit agency's operation.

It provides more than 50 percent of the center's operating budget. The rest comes from fundraising.

"That little retail shop has provided us with an important part of revenue we need, " Vasiliou said. "All of our revenue goes directly to support our programs."

The agency, which began in 1974, runs five soup kitchens, a pantry and a community outreach program.

Last year, it distributed 300, 000 pounds of food and 57, 000 meals to local families.

The demand for the thrift shop is very strong, Vasiliou said. In recent years, he said, the American middle class has taken a beating.

"We just hope that this will take off and allow us to do more services, " Chapman said.

If you go

Thrift shop's grand opening is today

What: Grand opening of Tarpon Springs' newest thrift store

Where: 875 S. Pinellas Ave. (Winn-Dixie plaza in Tarpon Springs)

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today

Who: The Shepherd Center, a nonprofit agency servicing North Pinellas residents, operates the shop

Normal hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays

[Last modified June 1, 2007, 23:15:44]