RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The Randolph Thrift Store wound up over a decade of existence at its former building but will re-open for business Wednesday in a new location.
The new store is located at Bldg. 737, near the base fire department.
"We are going to about 1,500 square feet so it will affect the amount of items we accept for consignment and others aspects, but the move is really positive for us," said Mary Burns, head of the Enlisted Wives Club, which jointly runs the thrift store with the Officers' Spouses' Club.
The thrift store is a popular business on Randolph and serves hundreds of customers each week as a place to donate unneeded items, find new items for the household or sell through consignment. The thrift store has been around, at various Randolph buildings, for more than 60 years.
Richard Trevino, 12th Civil Engineer Division director, said the old store will be torn down to make room for a $9.7 million project that creates additional office space for the Air Force Personnel Center.
"That project should be completed by February 2010 and the new building will cover 28,000 square feet," Mr. Trevino said. "It will create new administrative space."
Thrift store personnel expect it to thrive in the new location, where all money made is donated to charity or used to fund scholarships for graduating high school seniors.
"You deal with what you are given and this is not a (bad) move at all, in my opinion," said Pam Clark, chairperson for the Officers' Spouses Club. "With increased limits on space, it will affect what we accept and how much we accept. Beyond that, our staff of volunteers shouldn't change and our mission will remain the same."
Though some items will be turned away, there are other places they can be taken for donation. Ms. Clark mentioned Homes for Homeless on Byrd Boulevard in Universal City and said the Randolph Thrift Store could provide more names and locations if needed.