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We are so excited to announce that the Hope Chest Thrift Store is finally OPEN! We officially opened June 8, but will invite everyone to a big bash Grand Opening to celebrate all the hard work that went into making this dream a reality on Saturday, August 13th.
For well over a year now, incredible Volunteers have been pouring every free minute into a major remodel job, which included building walls, built-in shelving, a dressing room, painting, and wall treatments, installing new lighting, heating unit, ceiling fans, chandelier, flooring, and exquisite 7’ French doors to meet you upon your arrival. And almost everything involved in all of that was donated by a lot of wonderful people who caught the vision and wanted to be a part of it. We want to send out a huge Thank You to everyone who helped make this happen. May God bless you… you know who you are!!!
We’re so pleased to introduce Holly Oden and Jo Ann Moorman as Co-Managers of the Hope Chest. This mother-daughter duo each bring needed experience to the store, enabling them to tag-team and work together to make this endeavor one of great success.
There’s an awesome story behind the making of the Hope Chest. Several years ago, we were introduced to Mike Sitzman, manager of C.R.O.S.S. Ministries in Osceola, which operates a large thrift store. We contacted Mike to see if he could utilize what remained after one of our Rummage Mania events. He was happy to come and pick up our leftovers and then shared with us about how his ministry got started after realizing the need in his community. He encouraged us to pray about it and consider doing the same thing.
According to Mike, the motivation behind it all is always to bless your community and help those in need. As long as you keep God at the center, nothing else really matters. God blesses those who are His hands and feet. Those who have needs may have no one else to look to, or very limited financial resources. As brothers and sisters in Christ, it IS our responsibility to be pro-active in helping to meet those needs.
We agreed with Mike and we began to inquire of the Lord if this was something He would have us do. We then began to search for a facility. Holly’s parents owned a Laundromat that wasn’t currently in operation and they offered the front part of the building for us to use as a store. Immediately, the work to transform it began!
It’s been a long haul, with lots of sweat, a little blood, and perhaps a tear or two, but God’s timing is perfect. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (Habakkuk 2:3). And now, it’s finally here, and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it all turned out!
Would you like to be a part of blessing the community and helping those in need? And have a lot of fun doing it? You can become a Hope Chest Volunteer! Call Holly Oden to sign up for the Volunteer Training to be held soon: 641-895-7001. A special Volunteer is needed who would sell higher value items on-line for us. If interested in that, please let Holly know.
We hope you’ll stop by and check out the new store—off the northwest corner of the square—309 W Van Buren in Centerville. We also hope you’ll make plans to join us when we celebrate the Grand Opening Day on August 13th with hot dogs, chips, and cold drinks. We’ll give away some prizes and you can shop for a bargain at the newest hot spot in town…the Hope Chest Thrift Store!
Regular Business Hours (Opened for Business June 8th):
Wed.-Fri. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sat. 10:00 am to Noon
Grand Opening Celebration:
Sat., August 13 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Volunteer Training:
Call Holly Oden: 641-895-7001