L
ast month, a team of GE volunteers rolled up their sleeves
and took on the enormous task of remodeling the Erie City
Mission’s Thrifty Shopper store on Ridge Road in Girard.
Over the course of a week, volunteers helped clean and paint
the space with bright colors, giving it a fresh, clean look.
“The Thrifty Shopper has been in the Girard location for
12 years and has been in need of a refresh for a long time.
The store was doing well, but was getting run-down so we contacted GE
Transportation to see if they could help,” says Jodie Krumpe, Director of
Thrift Stores and Donation Centers for Erie City Mission and Fairview
resident.
Updating the store has been on the Erie City Mission’s wish list for years.
GE Transportation has been a great supporter of the charity and stepped
up to contribute volunteer labor as well as the renovation costs.
The aging and worn interior was long overdue for a little TLC. In
addition to the interior wall and ceiling paint, the floors were refinished,
new electrical wiring was put in and lighting fixtures replaced. The Thrifty
Shopper also got an updated telephone system and a new sign out front.
Over the past few months, the individual departments inside the store
were reorganized in anticipation of the remodel by merchandiser Colby
Tucker. Everything was rearranged to improve the traffic flow and to
provide a better shopping experience for customers.
The shop moved and enlarged the children’s department and added
separate men’s and women’s clothing departments. New shelving units
were purchased for displaying items for sale and the book, electronics and
kitchen departments were overhauled.
“During the remodel process we worked to keep in line with our
previous pricing and great deals. It’s the exact same services and the exact
same Thrifty Shopper that has always served Girard and the surrounding
counties,” says Krumpe.
The Thrifty Shopper has dedicated employees who have worked at the
store for many years, some for more than a decade. Longtime manager and
Girard resident, Janet Hupp, has run the store since it opened 12 years ago.
Hupp oversees the daily operations, manages employees and sets the
price on donated merchandise. She has actually worked in the same
building for 30 years, as she worked in the store that previously held the
space before the Thrifty Shopper moved in..
Community leaders organized the Erie City Mission in 1911 to address
the community needs of the city’s impoverished, homeless and addicted
citizens. The nonprofit serves a free lunch 363 days a year and runs 12
community programs and ministries, including the Thrifty Shopper for
men, women, youth and families.
The Thrifty Shopper is an important program for the Erie City Mission.
There are two thrift store locations, one in Girard and another on West
16th Street in Erie, just off Pittsburgh Avenue. The store relies on donations
from the community to stock the thrift store shelves.
People can donate at either of the Thrifty Shopper locations. They accept
items such as gently used clothing, housewares, small kitchen appliances
and furniture. Nothing goes to waste, however. Clothing items that aren’t
sold in the retail stores, or given to those in need at the Erie City Mission,
are baled and shipped to third-world countries.
The Thrifty Shopper in Girard is located at 10081 Ridge Road and
is open to shoppers Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and
Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact the Erie City Mission for volunteer
opportunities at the Thrifty Shopper. n
“The store was
doing well, but
was getting
run down.”
West County | Summer 2017 | icmags.com 13