A Woodburn-based compassion ministry was receiving donations of clothing, household goods, and furniture for people in need. Excess donations of common sizes and popular items were being donated by the truckload to thrift stores in Canby and Salem and many people who needed these items were reluctant to “accept charity” in spite of their need.
In 2014, one of our Ray of Hope founders was eating lunch with a trusted friend and mentor who was visiting from Pasadena, CA. During lunch, his mentor received a call from the manager of the Pasadena based thrift store owned by a nonprofit community foundation he led. Over time, the (also nonprofit) thrift store had grown to fund a significant portion of the foundation’s community projects.
The conversation after the phone call ended with one powerful question, “Why can’t we do that here in Woodburn?” That was the moment of conception for the future birth of Ray of Hope Community Thrift Store.
Five years later, after feasibility studies, market research, demographic assessments, and business plan development; after finding a thrift store consultant and securing a location; after finalizing lease negotiations and raising startup capital; after building out the store and hiring and training staff; and after much prayer, Ray of Hope Community Thrift Store was born. The long-awaited launch of the store was celebrated with a Grand Opening event on November 2, 2019.
Thanks to a generous outpouring of support from an excited Woodburn community, we sold 535 items to 97 people for a total of $1,568.27 on Grand Opening Day. It would take more than a year to reach that level of daily sales volume again, but the thrift store was up and running… and the rest is history (and, for the record, the best is yet to come).