Salvation Army holds grand opening for revamped store

After a several-month closure for renovations and re-organization, Havre's Salvation Army Sally Ann's Thrift Store is re-opening Friday with a grand opening at noon.

Manager Carissa Minnick said the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors will hold a ribbon cutting, a guest speaker will make a presentation, "and, of course, there will be cookies."

Minnick said the renovation went very well.

The work, which started in January, was on both the exterior and interior and also included removing asbestos and lead-based paint.

"It's a lot more bright and airy, just more family-friendly," Minnick said.

She said that, along with donated items that will be sold, the store also has brand-new furniture it is selling, along with donated furniture in a different section.

Salvation Army sells Emerald Home Furnishing items, such as new beds and living room furniture. The store will also have a catalogue with items people will be able to look through and order items from, with all the items being from Emerald Home Furnishing.

The store was closed last fall to both clean and renovate the building and to reorganize with mainly volunteer staff.

Salvation Army representatives said last fall that the Havre store was one of the last to mainly use paid staff. Most stores operate mostly with volunteers.

Proceeds from the store go to help fund Salvation Army social service program operations.

Minnick said donations to fill the store have been coming in full volume.

"Havre has pulled it together as a community," she said. "We really appreciate all the donations.

She said she has had two volunteers helping in the last few weeks who have been a great help, but the store is still looking for more volunteers.

"We would like to see six volunteers a day," she said.

People can help with sorting and preparing donations, cleaning, helping customers, running the cash register and more, she said.

"If they want to volunteer to be a door greeter all day, they can do that, too," she said.

Minnick said the store will be open from noon, the time of the grand opening, to 5 p.m. Friday and again from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Next week it will go to its regular hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

She said the organization asks people to drop off donated items - at the back door in the alley - between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Firday to make sure people can collect them so the items don't get wet, dirty or damaged.